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/ (General American) IPA(key): /ˈstɔɹ/, /ˈstʊɚ/ Rhymes: -ɔː(ɹ), -ʊə(ɹ) ==== Adjective ==== stour (comparative more stour, superlative most stour) (now rare outside dialects) Tall; big; stout. (now rare outside dialects) Strong; powerful; hardy; robust; sturdy. (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 cloth, land, etc.) Inflexible, stiff. (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/ (General American) IPA(key): /ˈstaʊɚ/, /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/ (General American) IPA(key): /ˈstɔɹ/, /ˈstʊ(ə)ɹ/ Rhymes: -ɔː(ɹ), -ʊə(ɹ) ==== Noun ==== stour (plural stours) (obsolete) An armed battle or conflict. , 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. (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