▪ I. † aˈstir, v. Obs.
Forms: 1 astyri-, astiri-an, 2 astiri-, asteri-, 3 asturi-en, 5 astere, 6 asteir.
[OE. astyri-an, f. a- prefix 1 up, out + styrian to stir; cogn. w. OHG. irsturen, MHG. erstürn to stir up.]
To stir up, move, disturb, excite, physically or emotionally.
| c 1000 Ags. Gosp. John v. 4 Þæt water wæs astyred. Ibid. Mark xv. 11 Þa astyredon þa bisceopas þa meneᵹu. c 1175 Lamb. Hom. 95 He sake ne asterde. 1205 Lay. 28786 Astured wes al þas þeode strongliche swiðe. 1567 Test. K. Hen. Stewart in Sc. Poems 16th C. II. 262 My solace, sorow, sobbery to asteir. |
▪ II. astir, adv., orig. phr.
(əˈstɜː(r))
[a prep.1 + stir n. Not in any Dict. of 18th c.: not in Todd 1818, Craig 1847, Webster 1864. First in northern writers; perh. anglicized from Sc. asteer, q.v.]
Stirring. a. esp. Out of bed, up and moving about.
| [1805 Wordsw. Waggoner i. 23 Hush, there is some one on the stir!] 1823 Lockhart Reg. Dalton i. vii. (1842) 34 Astir by eight o'clock. 1831 Scott Cast. Dang. ii, It is lucky..we have found our friends astir. 1833 H. Martineau Briery Crk. iii. 46 The whole village was early astir. 1850 Mrs. Stowe Uncle Tom's C. xxx. 281 Now it is morning, and everybody is astir. 1871 M. Collins Mrq. & Merch. II. vi. 163 Early as it is, the world is astir. |
b. gen. In motion. c. fig. In excitement.
| 1837 Carlyle Fr. Rev. v. v. II. 314 All kings and kinglets..are astir; their brows clouded with menace. 1856 Kane Arct. Exp. II. i. 17 All hands are astir with their [the winds'] novel influences. 1870 F. Wilson Ch. Lindisf. 34 The village is astir with sea-faring men. 1878 Huxley Physiogr. 62 When there is much wind astir. |