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To awake; to arouse; to stir or start up; also, to shout out. [Obs.] Chaucer.

Hence: In a state to be diffused or propagated; afoot; astir. "Mischiefs that I set abroach." Shak.

To quiet. [Obs.] Acquiet his mind from stirring you against your own peace. Sir A. Sherley.

A remarkable occurrence; a striking event; a stirring incident; as, the adventures of one's life. Bacon.

Fig.: In motion; in action; astir; in progress. The matter being afoot. Shak.

To stir up; to disturb or excite; to perturb; as, he was greatly agitated. The mind of man is agitated by various passions. Johnson.

A stirring up or arousing; disturbance of tranquillity; disturbance of mind which shows itself by physical excitement; perturbation; as, to cause any one agitation.

One who agitates; one who stirs up or excites others; as, political reformers and agitators.

In eager desire; eager; astir. All agog to dash through thick and thin. Cowper.

To entertain or occupy in a pleasant manner; to stir with pleasing or mirthful emotions; to divert. A group children amusing themselves with pushing stones from the top [of the cliff], and watching as they plunged into the lake. Gilpin.

To raise; to set up; to stir up. [Obs.]

To excite to action from a state of rest; to stir, or put in motion or exertion; to rouse; to excite; as, to arouse one from sleep; to arouse the dormant faculties. Grasping his spear, forth issued to arouse His brother, mighty sovereign on the host. Cowper. No suspicion was aroused. Merivale.

leep, as from death, stupidity., or inaction; to put into action; to give new life to; to stir up; as, to awake the dead; to awake the dormant faculties. I was soon awaked from this disagreeable reverie. Goldsmith. It way awake my bounty further. Shak. No sunny gleam awakes the trees. Keble.

word as by; joined with verbs, it serves: (a) To intensify the meaning; as, bespatter, bestir. (b) To render an intransitive verb transitive; as, befall (to fall upon); bespeak (to speak for). (c) To make the action of a verb particular or definite; as, beget (to get as offspring); beset (to set around).…

Bitterness of feeling; choler; anger; ill humor; as, to stir one's bile. Prescott.

A strong flat bar of iron, so bent as to support, as in a stirrup, one end of a floor timber, etc., where no sufficient bearing can be had; -- called also stirrup and hanger.

Pottage made by pouring some boiling liquid on meal (esp. oatmeal), and stirring it. It is called beef brose, water brose, etc., according to the name of the liquid (beef broth, hot water, etc.) used. [Scot.]

To move off; to stir; to walk away. I'll not budge an inch, boy. Shak. The mouse ne'er shunned the cat as they did budge From rascals worse than they. Shak.

Great stir; agitation; tumult from stirring or excitement. A strange bustle and disturbance in the world. South.

An active, stirring person.