stour

American  

[stoor] / stʊər /

noun

1. British Dialect.

   1. tumult; confusion.

   2. a storm.

2. British Dialect. blowing dust or a deposit of dust.

3. Archaic. armed combat; battle.

4. British Dialect. a time of tumult.

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Stour ¹ British  

/ staʊə /

noun

1. Also called: Great Stour.  a river in S England, in Kent, rising in the Weald and flowing N to the North Sea: separates the Isle of Thanet from the mainland

2. any of several smaller rivers in England

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stour ² British  

/ staʊə, stuːr /

noun

1. turmoil or conflict

2. dust; a cloud of dust

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Etymology

Origin of stour

1250–1300; Middle English < Old French estour battle < Germanic; akin to storm

Example Sentences

There was no freyke that there would fly, But stiffly in stour did stand, Echone hewing on other while they might dry, With many a baleful brand.

From The Book of Old English Ballads by Mabie, Hamilton Wright

Whatreck, a' the stour cam to naething; Sae Symon, and Janet his dame, Hale skart frae the wars, without skaithing, Gaed bannin' the French again hame.

From The Modern Scottish Minstrel, Volume I. The Songs of Scotland of the past half century by Rogers, Charles

Thus the stour lasted until evening, until that the night sundered them.

From The High History of the Holy Graal by Evans, Sebastian

“Hurrah!” shouted Bevis, dancing and singing: “Kyng Estmere threwe his harpe asyde, And swith he drew his brand; And Estmere he, and Adler yonge, Right stiffe in stour can stand!”

From Bevis The Story of a Boy by Jefferies, Richard

Bless me! how it thunders: the very rocks seem to shake under the whirl of the tremendous machinery; whilst at every open window out flies in clouds the imprisoned dust and stour.

From Wilson's Tales of the Borders and of Scotland, Vol. 9 by Various