stour

1 of 2

adjective

1
chiefly Scotland : strong, hardy
2
chiefly Scotland : stern, harsh

stour

2 of 2

noun

1
a
archaic : battle, conflict
b
dialectal British : tumult, uproar
2
chiefly Scotland : dust, powder

Word History

Etymology

Adjective

Middle English stor, from Old English stōr; akin to Old High German stuori large, Russian staryĭ old, Old English standan to stand

Noun

Middle English, from Anglo-French estur, estour, of Germanic origin; akin to Old High German sturm storm, battle — more at storm

First Known Use

Adjective

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Noun

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Time Traveler
The first known use of stour was before the 12th century

Dictionary Entries Near stour

Cite this Entry

“Stour.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/stour. Accessed 29 Mar. 2024.

Geographical Definition

Stour

geographical name

ˈstu̇r How to pronounce Stour (audio) ˈstau̇r How to pronounce Stour (audio)
ˈstau̇-ər,
ˈstȯr;
 specific variants can be found at senses below 
1
ˈstu̇r How to pronounce Stour (audio) river 47 miles (76 kilometers) long in southeastern England flowing east between Essex and Suffolk into the North Sea
2
ˈstau̇r How to pronounce Stour (audio)
ˈstu̇r
river 55 miles (88 kilometers) long in Dorset and Hampshire, southern England, flowing southeast into the Avon River
3
or Great Stour
ˈstu̇r,
also
ˈstau̇(-ə)r How to pronounce Stour (audio)
river 40 miles (64 kilometers) long in Kent, southeastern England, flowing northeast into the North Sea
4
ˈstau̇(-ə)r How to pronounce Stour (audio)
ˈstȯr
river 20 miles (32 kilometers) long in Oxfordshire and Warwickshire, central England, flowing northwest into the Avon River
5
ˈstau̇(-ə)r How to pronounce Stour (audio)
ˈstȯr
river 20 miles (32 kilometers) long in west central England flowing south into the Severn River
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