stöbern

16th century, iterative of stäuben, stauben, from Middle High German stöuben, stouben (“to swirl up, raise dust”), from Proto-West Germanic *staubijan, factitive of *steuban (whence stieben). The ö-vocalism is East Central and Low German (Middle Low German stö̂ven). The sense “to browse” is in part derived through the noun Middle High German stöuber, Middle Low German stö̂ver (“small hound used for tracking”), itself from the verb above.

• IPA^(key): /ˈʃtøːbɐn/

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• Hyphenation: stö‧bern

stöbern (weak, third-person singular present stöbert, past tense stöberte, past participle gestöbert, auxiliary haben or sein)

1. (intransitive) to browse, to rummage

   Wonach stöberst du in meinen Sachen?

   What are you rummaging for in my things?

   • 2007, Dirk Sutro, Jazz für Dummies, John Wiley & Sons, →ISBN, page 21:

     Und trotzdem hat Jazz eine kleine, eingeschworene Fangemeinde, die geduldig in Plattenläden oder im Internet stöbert und Livekonzerte besucht.

     (please add an English translation of this quotation)

2. (regional, impersonal) there to be a flurry of snow
3. (regional, of snow) to blow around
4. (Southern Germany) to clean up

• Gestöber
• durchstöbern

• Staub
• stieben
• Stöberhund

• “stöbern” in Duden online
• “stöbern” in Digitales Wörterbuch der deutschen Sprache
• “stöbern” in Deutsches Wörterbuch von Jacob und Wilhelm Grimm, 16 vols., Leipzig 1854–1961.