stir

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A stir is a movement or action that changes the position of something.

When we talk about stirring, we usually mean moving a spoon or other object around in a circular motion inside a pot or container. Imagine you're making soup and you need to mix all the ingredients together smoothly. You'd use a spoon to give everything a good stir. Sometimes people also say "stir up" something, which means to create trouble or cause problems. If there's been a lot of gossip in your workplace and someone says "this is stirring up trouble", they mean that it's causing tension and conflict among colleagues.

How common is "stir"?

Word stir is considered common in modern English.
It appears most frequently in magazine texts and less often in other writings.

Definitions

verb

(transitive) To disturb the relative position of the particles (of a liquid or similar) by passing an object through it.
Example: She stirred the pudding with a spoon.
(transitive) To disturb the content of (a container) by passing an object through it.
Example: Would you please stir this pot so that the chocolate doesn't burn?
(transitive) To emotionally affect; to touch, to move.
(transitive) To incite to action.
(transitive) To bring into debate; to agitate.
(transitive, obsolete) To disturb, to disrupt.
(transitive, dated) To change the place of in any manner; to move.
(intransitive) To begin to move, especially gently, from a still or unmoving position.
(intransitive) Of a feeling or emotion: to rise, begin to be felt.
(intransitive) To be in motion; to be active or bustling; to exert or busy oneself.
(intransitive) To rise from sleep or unconsciousness.