stour
English
Etymology 1
From Middle English store, stoor, stour (“tall, powerful”), from Old English stōr (“tall, great, mighty, strong”), from Proto-West Germanic *stōr, from Proto-Germanic *stōraz, *stōrijaz (“great, big, strong”), from Proto-Indo-European *stā-r-, *stō-r- (“steadfast, firm; standing tall; big, bulky”).
Alternative forms
- stoor, stoore, stoure, stowr, stuir, stur, sture, sturry
Pronunciation
- (Received Pronunciation) IPA(key): /ˈstɔː/, /ˈstʊə/
Audio (UK) (file) Audio (UK) (file)
- (General American) IPA(key): /ˈstɔɹ/, /ˈstʊ(ə)ɹ/
- Rhymes: -ɔː(ɹ), -ʊə(ɹ), -ʊɹ
Adjective
stour (comparative more stour, superlative most stour)
- (now rare outside dialects) Tall; large; stout.
- (now rare outside dialects) Strong; powerful; hardy; robust; sturdy.
- 1387–1400, Geoffrey Chaucer, “(please specify the story)”, in The Canterbury Tales, [Westminster: William Caxton, published 1478], OCLC 230972125; republished in [William Thynne], editor, The Workes of Geffray Chaucer Newlye Printed, […], [London]: […] [Richard Grafton for] Iohn Reynes […], 1542, OCLC 932884868:
- O stronge lady stoor, what doest thou?
- (please add an English translation of this quote)
-
- (now rare outside dialects) Bold; audacious.
- (now rare outside dialects) Rough in manner; stern; austere; ill-tempered.
- (now rare outside dialects, of a voice) Rough; hoarse; deep-toned; harsh.
- (now rare outside dialects, of land or cloth) Stiff; inflexible.
- (obsolete) Resolute; unyielding.
Derived terms
- stourly
- stourness
Noun
stour (plural stours)
- (UK dialectal, Ulster) A blowing or deposit of dust; dust in motion or at rest; dust in general.
Adverb
stour (comparative more stour, superlative most stour)
- (now chiefly dialectal) Severely; strongly.
Etymology 2
From Middle English stoure, stourre, from Old Norse staurr (“a stake, pale”), from Proto-Germanic *stauraz (“pole, support”), from Proto-Indo-European *stā- (“to stand, place”). Cognate with Icelandic staur (“a stake, pole”), Ancient Greek σταυρός (staurós, “a stake, cross”).
Pronunciation
- (Received Pronunciation) IPA(key): /ˈstaʊə/, /ˈstaʊ.ə/
Audio (UK) (file)
- (General American) IPA(key): /ˈstaʊəɹ/, /ˈstaʊɹ/
- Rhymes: -aʊə(ɹ), -aʊə, -aʊɹ
Noun
stour (plural stours)
- A stake.
- A round of a ladder.
- A stave in the side of a wagon.
- A large pole by which barges are propelled against the stream; a poy.
Etymology 3
From Middle English stour, stor (“conflict”) from Anglo-Norman estur (“conflict, struggle”), from Old French estour, estor, estorme, estourmie, estormie (“battle, assault, conflict, tumult”), from Vulgar Latin *estorma, *storma (“battle, conflict, storm”), from Frankish *sturm (“storm, commotion, battle”), from Proto-Germanic *sturmaz (“storm”). Akin to Old High German sturm (“battle, storm”). More at storm.
Pronunciation
- (Received Pronunciation) IPA(key): /ˈstɔː/, /ˈstʊə/
Audio (UK) (file) Audio (UK) (file)
- (General American) IPA(key): /ˈstɔɹ/, /ˈstʊ(ə)ɹ/
- Rhymes: -ɔː(ɹ), -ʊə, -ʊ(ə)ɹ
Noun
stour (plural stours)
- (obsolete) An armed battle or conflict.
- 1470–1485 (date produced), Thomas Malory, “(please specify the chapter)”, in [Le Morte Darthur], (please specify the book number), [London: […] by William Caxton], published 31 July 1485, OCLC 71490786; republished as H[einrich] Oskar Sommer, editor, Le Morte Darthur […], London: David Nutt, […], 1889, OCLC 890162034:, Book V:
- Then there began a passyng harde stoure, for the Romaynes ever wexed ever bygger.
- 1600, Edward Fairfax, The Jerusalem Delivered of Tasso, XII, xv:
- This pair, who past have many a dreadful stour, / And proffer now to prove this venture stout, / Alone to this attempt let them go forth, / Alone than thousands of more price and worth.
- (obsolete) A time of struggle or stress.
- 1590, Edmund Spenser, “Book I, Canto II”, in The Faerie Queene. […], London: […] [John Wolfe] for William Ponsonbie, OCLC 960102938:
- Then gan she waile and weepe, to see that woefull stowre.
-
- (now dialectal) Tumult, commotion; confusion.
Verb
stour (third-person singular simple present stours, present participle stouring, simple past and past participle stoured)
- Alternative form of stoor
Anagrams
- Rusto, Sutor, Tours, roust, routs, sutor, torus, tours
Middle English
Alternative forms
- stoor
Adjective
stour
- Alternative form of store