“stirs” is a form of
stir
UK /stɜː/ · US /stɝ/ verb, noun
Forms stirs stirring stirred stirrest stirredst stirreth
- verb (transitive) To disturb the relative position of the particles (of a liquid or similar) by passing an object through it. “She stirred the pudding with a spoon.”
- verb (transitive) To disturb the content of (a container) by passing an object through it. “Would you please stir this pot so that the chocolate doesn't burn?”
- verb (transitive) To emotionally affect; to touch, to move.
- verb (transitive) To incite to action.
- verb (transitive) To bring into debate; to agitate.
- verb (transitive, obsolete) To disturb, to disrupt.
- verb (transitive, dated) To change the place of in any manner; to move.
- verb (intransitive) To begin to move, especially gently, from a still or unmoving position.
- noun The act or result of stirring (moving around the particles of a liquid etc.) “Can you give the soup a little stir?”
- noun agitation; tumult; bustle; noise or various movements.
- noun Public disturbance or commotion; tumultuous disorder; seditious uproar.
- noun Agitation of thoughts; conflicting passions.
- noun (slang) Jail; prison. “He's going to be spending maybe ten years in stir.”
Synonyms
agitate arouse instigate prompt excite abet actuate goose fuel light a fire under send sting bring about cheer draw drive encourage egg on engender evoke splash bustle hustle flurry ado fuss shift budge stimulate shake
Etymology
From Middle English stiren, sturien, steren, from Old English styrian (“to be in motion, move, agitate, stir, disturb, trouble”), from Proto-Germanic *sturiz (“turmoil, noise, confusion”), related to Proto-West Germanic *staurijan (“to destroy, disturb”). Cognate with Old Norse styrr (“turmoil, noise, confusion”), German stören (“to disturb”), Dutch storen (“to disturb”).
From Romani stariben (“prison”), nominalisation of (a)star (“seize”), causative of ast (“remain”), probably from Sanskrit आतिष्ठति (ātiṣṭhati, “stand or remain by”), from तिष्ठति (tiṣṭhati, “stand”).
Webster’s 1913
- verb To change the place of in any manner; to move.
- verb To disturb the relative position of the particles of, as of a liquid, by passing something through it; to agitate; as, to stir a pudding with a spoon.
- verb To move; to change one's position.
- verb To be in motion; to be active or bustling; to exert or busy one's self.
Etymology [OE. stiren, steren, sturen, AS. styrian; probably akin to D. storen to disturb, G. stören, OHG. storen to scatter, destroy. *166.]
Sources: Wiktionary · WordNet 3.0 · Webster’s 1913 — from the Wiktionary entry “stir”, CC BY-SA 4.0. Details