stour meaning: definition, etymology and quotations

stour

adj

UK /ˈstɔː/ · US /ˈstɔɹ/

Etymology 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”). Cognates Akin to Scots stour (“tall, large, great, stout”), Saterland Frisian stor (“great, many”), Danish, Swedish and Norwegian stor (“large, great”), Icelandic stórr (“large, tall”), Polish stary (“old, ancient”), Albanian stër- (“big, huge”). Compare also stoor, steer, stately.

7 senses

1Tall; big; stout.
2Strong; powerful; hardy; robust; sturdy.
3Bold; audacious.
4Rough in manner; stern; austere; ill-tempered.
5Rough; hoarse; deep-toned; harsh.
6Inflexible, stiff.
7Resolute; unyielding.

1

Dialectal, Regional Tall; big; stout.

2

Dialectal, Regional Strong; powerful; hardy; robust; sturdy.

3

Dialectal, Regional Bold; audacious.

4

Dialectal, Regional Rough in manner; stern; austere; ill-tempered.

5

Dialectal, Regional, Of a voice Rough; hoarse; deep-toned; harsh.

6

Dialectal, Regional, Usually, Of cloth Inflexible, stiff.

A fenny gooſe, even as her fleſhe is blacker, ſtoorer, unholſomer, ſo is her feather, for the ſame cauſe, courſer, ſtoorer, and rougher, and therefore I have heard very good fletchers ſay, that the ſecond fether in ſome place is better than the pinion in other ſome.1545, Roger Ascham, Toxophilus, the Schole of Shootinge […], London: […] Edouardi Whytchurch, →OCLC:

7

Obsolete Resolute; unyielding.

Derived terms: stourly, stourness

stour

noun

Etymology 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”). Cognates Akin to Scots stour (“tall, large, great, stout”), Saterland Frisian stor (“great, many”), Danish, Swedish and Norwegian stor (“large, great”), Icelandic stórr (“large, tall”), Polish stary (“old, ancient”), Albanian stër- (“big, huge”). Compare also stoor, steer, stately.

1

UK, Ulster, Dialectal A blowing or deposit of dust; dust in motion or at rest; dust in general.

stour

adv

Etymology 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”). Cognates Akin to Scots stour (“tall, large, great, stout”), Saterland Frisian stor (“great, many”), Danish, Swedish and Norwegian stor (“large, great”), Icelandic stórr (“large, tall”), Polish stary (“old, ancient”), Albanian stër- (“big, huge”). Compare also stoor, steer, stately.

1

Dialectal Severely; strongly.

stour

noun

UK /ˈstaʊə/ · US /ˈstaʊɚ/

Etymology 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”).

1

A stake.

2

A round of a ladder.

3

A stave in the side of a wagon.

4

A large pole by which barges are propelled against the stream; a poy.

stour

noun

US /ˈstʊ(ə)ɹ/

Etymology 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.

1

Obsolete An armed battle or conflict.

Then there began a passyng harde stoure, for the Romaynes ever wexed ever bygger., Book V
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.1600, Edward Fairfax, The Jerusalem Delivered of Tasso, XII, xv

1 more example

"Travel shall I and woo; Plight me shall I a flower; Try shall I my sword so good, To my weal or my woe in the stour."1828, Thomas Keightley, The Fairy Mythology, volume I, London: William Harrison Ainsworth, page 170:

2

Obsolete A time of struggle or stress.

Then gan she waile and weepe, to see that woefull stowre.1590, Edmund Spenser, “Book I, Canto II”, in The Faerie Queene. […], London: […] [John Wolfe] for William Ponsonbie, →OCLC:

3

Dialectal Tumult, commotion; confusion.