agitate

American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition

1. v. To cause to move with violence or sudden force.
2. v. To upset; disturb: was agitated by the alarming news.
3. v. To arouse interest in (a cause, for example) by use of the written or spoken word; debate.
4. v. To stir up public interest in a cause: agitate for a tax reduction.

Century Dictionary and Cyclopedia

1. To move or actuate; maintain the action of.
2. To move to and fro; impart regular motion to.
3. To move or force into violent irregular action; shake or move briskly; excite physically: as, the wind agitates the sea; to agitate water in a vessel.
4. To disturb, or excite into tumult; perturb.
5. To discuss: debate; call attention to by speech or writing: as, to agitate the question of free trade.
6. To consider on all sides; revolve in the mind, or view in all its aspects; plan.
7. Synonyms and To rouse, stir up, ruffle, discompose.5 and To canvass, deliberate upon.
8. To engage in agitation; arouse or attempt to arouse public interest, as in some political or social question: as, he set out to agitate in the country.

Wiktionary

1. v. To move with a violent, irregular action; as, the wind agitates the sea; to agitate water in a vessel.
2. v. rare To move or actuate. --Thomson.
3. v. To stir up; to disturb or excite; to perturb; as, he was greatly agitated.
4. v. To discuss with great earnestness; to debate; as, a controversy hotly agitated. --Boyle.
5. v. To revolve in the mind, or view in all its aspects; to contrive busily; to devise; to plot; as, politicians agitate desperate designs.

GNU Webster's 1913

1. v. To move with a violent, irregular action
2. v. rare To move or actuate.
3. v. To stir up; to disturb or excite; to perturb.
4. v. To discuss with great earnestness; to debate.
5. v. To revolve in the mind, or view in all its aspects; to contrive busily; to devise; to plot.

WordNet 3.0

1. v. change the arrangement or position of
2. v. move very slightly
3. v. exert oneself continuously, vigorously, or obtrusively to gain an end or engage in a crusade for a certain cause or person; be an advocate for
4. v. move or cause to move back and forth
5. v. try to stir up public opinion
6. v. cause to be agitated, excited, or roused