Stir

To stir means to agitate or cause to move. In a literal sense, one stirs foods or liquids in the preparation or cooking process, by using a spoon or other implement in a rotary motion, to mix ingredients together or prevent burning. Metaphorically, to stir can mean to arouse emotions, both positive ('to stir up patriotism') and negative ('to stir up trouble').

To cause a stir means to perform an action which raises interest or alarm.

Stir is also a slang word for imprisonment, most commonly found in the phrase 'stir crazy', which describes madness induced by the claustrophobia of confinement.