[f. STIR v. + -ING1.] The action of the verb STIR, in various senses.
1. The action of moving (in general sense); movement, motion. Obs. or arch.
c. 888. Ælfred, Boeth., xx. Ascirped mid þære styringe hire aʓenre frecennesse [L. ipsius adversitatis exercitatione prudentem]. Ibid., xxi. Ðara unstillena ʓesceafta styring ne mæʓ no weorðan ʓestilled.
c. 1055. Byrhtferth’s Handboc, in Anglia, VIII. 318. Momentum, þæt ys styrung.
a. 1300. Cursor M., 23678. Sun and mone and stern and lift, þat ai wit stiring ar nu scift,… fra þat time stil sal þai stand.
c. 1375. Sc. Leg. Saints, iv. (James), 76. Quhow his master be his slicht had rewit hym steringe & mycht.
c. 1400. trans. Secreta Secret., Gov. Lordsh., 66. Þe seconde partye [of Astronomye] ys of þe qualyte & of þe manere to knowe þe sterynge of þe firmament.
c. 1530. Judic. Urines, II. vii. 30. Pulmo the lunges is a membre softe and tendre … hauynge … ii. meuynges, yt is to say, .ii. maner of sterynges.
1613. Purchas, Pilgrimage (1614), 744. The sterne that with little locall stirring guideth so many Ships.
1674. N. Fairfax, Bulk & Selv., Contents, Bearing is neither rest nor stirring, but the keeper or spring of stirring.
2. A beginning to move; a slight or momentary movement; (with negative) any or the least movement.
a. 1340. Hampole, Pr. Consc., I. 822. His [sc. a dying man’s] pouce es stille, with-outen styringes.
c. 1375. Sc. Leg. Saints, xxix. (Placidas), 134. He … lay stil … but steryng of fut ore hand.
a. 1425. trans. Arderne’s Treat. Fistula, etc. 24. Þat it be noȝt hurt þruȝ … sodayn styrryng of þe pacient wiþ þe poynt of þe rasour or of þe launcette.
1548. Hall, Chron., Edw. IV., 215. They made no stirryng, nor once shewed them selfe in sight.
1805. Wordsw., Fidelity, 6. He … searches with his eyes … And now at distance can discern A stirring in a brake of fern.
1871. E. F. Burr, Ad Fidem, xvi. 349. Subtle stirrings of the air, that show the coming cyclone.
1909. H. J. Newbolt, New June, lxvii. 356. The spark had been rekindled in John’s blood; it was but smouldering and creeping…. The first stirring of the flame was close at hand.
b. The action of leaving one’s place, or of going out of doors.
1698. Fryer, Acc. E. India & P., 76. Here being no stirring out to Sea, or travelling in the Country.
1710–1. Swift, Jrnl. to Stella, 10 Jan. He had no thoughts of stirring till summer.
1755. Elisa Young, in A. Young’s Autobiog. (1898), 15. We have had so much rain lately that there has been no stirring.
† c. fig. Change, alteration, variation. Obs.
a. 1240. Ureisun, in O. E. Hom., I. 189. [Crist] þet is euer ilic wiþ-ute truchunge, þet halt euer anon wiþ-ute sturunge. Ibid., 203. Wið-ute sturiunge.
d. fig. Beginning of action or activity; esp. of mental faculties, intellectual movements, or the like.
1387–8. T. Usk, Test. Love, I. Prol. (Skeat), 82. This book shal be of love, and the pryme causes of steringe in that doinge.
1711. Addison, Spect., No. 257, ¶ 9. Those weak Stirrings and Tendencies of the Will.
1873. Symonds, Grk. Poets, v. 111. The very earliest stirrings of conscious art in Greece.
1909. Edin. Rev., July, 154. The methods by which the dominant race seek to crush out the stirrings of an independent life in the in the docile peoples over whom it rules.
† 3. Active movement; bodily exercise. Obs.
c. 1400. trans. Secreta Secret., Gov. Lordsh., 71. Stirynge before þe mete sterith þe hete of þe stomak.
a. 1400–50. Wars Alex., 781. Quat of stamping of stedis & stering of bernes, All dymed þe dale.
1561. Hollybush, Hom. Apoth., 40 b. Let him use moderate walkinge or stearing.
1562. J. Heywood, Prov. & Epigr. (1867), 130. Great sturryng, small mouyng.
1626. Bacon, Sylva, § 62. Excesse of Meat, Excesse of Drinke, Extraordinary Fasting, Extraordinary Stirring.
1719. De Foe, Crusoe, II. (Globe), 512. Stirring about, and Trading … had … more Pleasure in it … than sitting still.
† b. Of a horse: The designation of a particular kind of pace. Cf. STIRRER 3 b, STIRRING ppl. a. 2 b.
1477. Paston Lett., III. 186. The gentyllest hors in trotting and sterying that is in Calis.
4. Violent movement, commotion.
a. In physical sense. ? Obs. (In early quots. contextual or lit. from L. motus.)
c. 1000. Ags. Gosp., Matt. viii. 24. Ða wearð mycel styrung [Vulg. motus; c. 1160 Hatton steriung] ʓeworden on þære sæ. Ibid., Matt. xxiv. 7. Eorþan styrunga [c. 1160 Hatton eorðe steriunge; Vulg. terræ motus].
1382. Wyclif, Matt. viii. 24. A grete steryng [1388 stiring] was maad in the see.
b. Tumult, uproar; political disturbance, sedition; insurrection. Obs. or merged in other senses.
a. 1154. O. E. Chron. (Laud MS.), an. 975. & com þa on þam eaftran ʓeare swiðe mycel hungor, & swyðe mæniʓfealde styrunga ʓeond Angel cyn.
1415. Ld. Scrope, in 43rd Rep. Dep. Kpr. Publ. Rec., 590. A gret stiring of Lolardis.
1529. Rastell, Pastyme (1811), 281. A newe styrrynge began in the northe contrey.
1665. Clarke Papers (Camden), III. 28. There is noe stirring in Wales, nor any in armes that wee know of except these in Dorsetshire.
[1828. Carr, Craven Gloss., Stirrings, a bustle, a commotion.]
† c. Disturbance of mind or feelings. Obs. rare–1. (rendering L. motus.)
a. 1400. in Pol. Rel. & L. Poems (1903), 256. Wiþ weopinge we comen, Wiþ weopinge we passun. Wiþ steriinge we byginnen, Wiþ steriinge we enden.
5. The action of setting in motion, agitation. Now rare or Obs.
c. 1000. Ags. Gosp., John v. 4. Æfter þæs wæteres styrunge.
1665. Phil. Trans., I. 52. Almost any Ventilation and stirring of the Air doth refrigerate.
1712. M. Henry, Daily Commun. (1822), 328. The sick and sore in Bethesda’s pool waited for the stirring of the water.
† b. Shaking (of the head). Obs. rare.
a. 1225. Ancr. R., 188. Hore hefden sturiunge [v.r. schakinge] upon him.
a. 1300. E. E. Psalter xliii. [xliv.] 15. Þou set us … Stiringe of heved [L. commotionem capitis] in folke to be.
a. 1325. Prose Psalter, ibid. Stirieng of heued.
6. Agitation with the hand or an implement so as to shift or mix the parts.
a. of a liquid, of coals, etc.: see STIR v. 3 a, b.
1398. Trevisa, Barth. De P. R., XIX. cxxviii. (1495), 935. Lebes is a vessell of brasse to sethe flesshe therin and taketh blaknesse of often brennynge and vnclennesse and nedeth therfore ofte styryng and wypynge.
1611. Cotgr., Patouil,… a making foule by much sturring.
1640. T. Brugis, Marrow of Physicke, II. 151. Boyle it with stirring.
1782. J. Brown, Nat. & Revealed Relig., III. ii. 238. The stirring of a wasps’ nest makes them rage and sting the more.
b. of soil; spec. a second plowing (see STIR v. 3 c); also concr. land that has just been ‘stirred.’
14[?]. Lat.-Eng. Voc., in Wr.-Wülcker, 582/27. Febrimacio, sturrynge of londe.
1523–34. Fitzherb., Husb., § 17. If it be layde vpon the sturrynge, at euery plowynge it shall medle the donge and the erthe togyder.
1577. Googe, trans. Heresbach’s Husb., I. 21 b. Through many stirringes, your Fallowe is brought to so fine a moulde, as it shall neede very little or no harrowing at all when you sowe it.
1677. Plot, Oxfordsh., 239. Some short time before the second tilth, which they call stirring.
1725. Bradley’s Family Dict., s.v. Fallow-Ground, Fallowing is the first Ploughing for Barley, as Stirring is the second, and Sowing the third.
1805. R. W. Dickson, Pract. Agric., I. 9. In cross-ploughing or stirring, they [sc. the coulters] may be set three-fourths of an inch towards the land.
1865. Chamb. Encycl., VI. 347/2. Hoeing or other stirring of the soil is beneficial.
7. The action of rousing or exciting to activity or emotion; incitement, instigation, provocation; † prompting, suggestion, inducement, persuasion.
1399. Rolls of Parlt., III. 452/1. By waye of counseill and styryng.
1420–2. Lydg., Siege Thebes, I. 235. Thorgh his styring, and exortacioun With hym they went.
1507. in Sel. Cases Star Chamber (Selden Soc.), I. 271. They wold haue it sold & so by thair assentes & steringes it was sold for xx li.
1530. Palsgr., 276/2. Styrryng to angre, irritation.
1568. Grafton, Chron., II. 124. The cause of this warre … was made by the styryng of a Frenche man.
1656. J. Harrington, Oceana (1658), 155. What convenience is there for debate in a crowd, where there is nothing but jostling, treading upon one another, and stirring of blood?
1891. Kipling, Light that Failed, x. 205. He … remembered to stir Bessie, who needed very little stirring, into a tremendous rage.
b. Also with up: cf. STIR v. 16 d, e.
c. 1580[?]. [H. Nicholas] (title), The Fift Epistle: a stirring-vp of the Heart to the Humiliation or Following of Jesus.
1586. A. Day, Engl. Secretorie, I. (1625), 47. In matter of exhortation or stirring vp to wel-doing.
1675. J. Owen, Indwelling Sin, x. (1732), 127. Warnings, Calls, Excitations, or Stirrings up.
1857. J. D. Borthwick, Three Yrs. California, ii. 42. He was such a dreadfully crabbed old rascal, that I thought the stirring-up he got was quite necessary to keep him sweet.
1914. Evening Standard, 10 Nov., 6. Yesterday London got just what it wanted—a stirring up.
8. Inward prompting, suggestion or incitement; impulse; in later use, inward movement of feeling or desire (cf. 2 d).
a. 1225. Ancr. R., 294. Eadi is he … þat … to brekeð … þe ereste sturunges hwon þet fleshs ariseð.
a. 1340. Hampole, Psalter ii. 10. Wickid sterynge of pride ire enuye couaitis iolifte and oþer vices.
c. 1400. Apol. Loll., 67. Oft he [a judge] folowiþ his steringis [suae voluntatis motus … sequitur], & not þe meritis of causis.
1636. Massinger, Bashful Lover, III. i. I … begin To feel new stirrings, gallant thoughts.
1746. Wesley, Princ. Methodist, 21. He has Power over all the Stirrings and Motions of Sin, but not a total Freedom from them.
1864. Bryce, Holy Rom. Emp., iv. (1875), 42. The lofty … mind of Charles was not free from the stirrings of personal ambition.
1884. W. C. Smith, Kildrostan, 65. I Begin to feel a stirring in my veins, As if I must be off into the woods.
† b. An affection of the mind, an emotion. Obs.
1552. T. Wilson, Logic, 21. There be .iiii. stirringes [1551, perturbacions] principall … in … the mynd…. Libido, seu cupiditas. Lust or desire. Leticia. Mirthe. Egritudo. Grief. Metus. Feare.
9. attrib. and Comb.: in sense 5 a (‘used for stirring’), as stirring-apparatus, -bar, -buddle, -rod, -spoon; in sense 5 b (‘for stirring’), as stirring-time.
1877. Raymond, Statist. Mines & Mining, 399. A convenient *stirring-apparatus consists of two oblique blades fixed to the base of a vertical shaft.
1839. Ure, Dict. Arts, etc. 1025. The mixture is agitated … by hand with the *stirring-bar. Ibid., 751. The *stirring buddle, or chest for freeing the schlamms or slimy stuff from clay.
1839. Ure, Dict. Arts, 1264. The capital should be provided with a stuffing-box, through which a *stirring-rod may pass down to the bottom of the still.
1895. Arnold & Sons’ Catal. Surg. Instrum., 328. Stirring-rod.
1915. Tremearne, Bori Beliefs, in Jrnl. R. Anthrop. Inst., XLV. 34. Making a porridge of flour, and then scraping it off from the *stirring-spoon with her fingers.
1523–34. Fitzherb., Husb., § 16. The wiedes shall take suche roote, er *sterynge-tyme comme, that they wylle not be cleane tourned vndernethe.
