churn

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Related to churn: churn out, butter churn

churn

(chûrn)

1. A vessel or device in which cream or milk is agitated to separate the oily globules from the caseous and serous parts, used to make butter.

2. Turbulence or agitation: "the violent churn of a long waterfall" (Catherine Reid).

v. churned, churn·ing, churns

v.tr.

a. To agitate or stir (milk or cream) in order to make butter.

b. To make by the agitation of milk or cream: churn butter.

2. To agitate vigorously or turn over repeatedly: wind churning up the piles of leaves. See Synonyms at agitate.

3. To buy and sell (a client's securities) frequently, especially in order to generate commissions.

v.intr.

1. To make butter by operating a device that agitates cream or milk.

2. To be turbulent or agitated: waves churning in the storm; so angry it made my stomach churn.

3. To move by agitating water or by means of a pumping action: The boat churned through the narrows.

Phrasal Verb:

churn out

To produce in an abundant and regular manner: churns out four novels a year.

[Middle English chirne, from Old English cyrn, cyrin.]

churn′er n.

American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

churn

(tʃɜːn)

1. Brit a large container for milk

2. (Agriculture) a vessel or machine in which cream or whole milk is vigorously agitated to produce butter

3. any similar device

4. the number of customers who switch from one supplier to another

5. (Agriculture)

a. to stir or agitate (milk or cream) in order to make butter

b. to make (butter) by this process

6. (sometimes foll by up) to move or cause to move with agitation: ideas churned in his head.

7. (Insurance) (of a bank, broker, etc) to encourage an investor or policyholder to change investments, endowment policies, etc, to increase commissions at the client's expense

8. (Banking & Finance) (of a bank, broker, etc) to encourage an investor or policyholder to change investments, endowment policies, etc, to increase commissions at the client's expense

9. (Government, Politics & Diplomacy) (of a government) to pay benefits to a wide category of people and claw it back by taxation from the well off

10. (Broadcasting) to promote the turnover of existing subscribers leasing, and new subscribers joining, a cable television system or mobile phone company

[Old English ciern; related to Old Norse kjarni, Middle Low German kerne churn, German dialect Kern cream]

ˈchurner n

Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014

churn

(tʃɜrn)

n.

1. a container or machine in which cream or milk is agitated to make butter.

2. any of various similar machines, as for mixing beverages.

v.t.

3. to agitate in order to make into butter: to churn cream.

4. to make (butter) by the agitation of cream.

5. to shake or agitate: The storm churned the sea.

6. (of a stockbroker) to trade (a customer's securities) excessively in order to earn more in commissions.

v.i.

7. to operate a churn.

8. to move or shake in agitation.

9. churn out, to produce mechanically and in abundance.

[before 1000; Middle English chirne (n.), Old English cyrne cyr(i)n; c. Middle Low German kerne, Old Norse kjarni, kirna]

churn′er, n.

churn

Past participle: churned
Gerund: churning

Imperative
churn
churn

Present
I churn
you churn
he/she/it churns
we churn
you churn
they churn

Preterite
I churned
you churned
he/she/it churned
we churned
you churned
they churned

Present Continuous
I am churning
you are churning
he/she/it is churning
we are churning
you are churning
they are churning

Present Perfect
I have churned
you have churned
he/she/it has churned
we have churned
you have churned
they have churned

Past Continuous
I was churning
you were churning
he/she/it was churning
we were churning
you were churning
they were churning

Past Perfect
I had churned
you had churned
he/she/it had churned
we had churned
you had churned
they had churned

Future
I will churn
you will churn
he/she/it will churn
we will churn
you will churn
they will churn

Future Perfect
I will have churned
you will have churned
he/she/it will have churned
we will have churned
you will have churned
they will have churned

Future Continuous
I will be churning
you will be churning
he/she/it will be churning
we will be churning
you will be churning
they will be churning

Present Perfect Continuous
I have been churning
you have been churning
he/she/it has been churning
we have been churning
you have been churning
they have been churning

Future Perfect Continuous
I will have been churning
you will have been churning
he/she/it will have been churning
we will have been churning
you will have been churning
they will have been churning

Past Perfect Continuous
I had been churning
you had been churning
he/she/it had been churning
we had been churning
you had been churning
they had been churning

Conditional
I would churn
you would churn
he/she/it would churn
we would churn
you would churn
they would churn

Past Conditional
I would have churned
you would have churned
he/she/it would have churned
we would have churned
you would have churned
they would have churned

Collins English Verb Tables © HarperCollins Publishers 2011

ThesaurusAntonymsRelated WordsSynonymsLegend:

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Noun	1.	churn - a vessel in which cream is agitated to separate butterfat from buttermilk butter churn vessel - an object used as a container (especially for liquids)
Verb	1.	churn - stir (cream) vigorously in order to make butter cookery, cooking, preparation - the act of preparing something (as food) by the application of heat; "cooking can be a great art"; "people are needed who have experience in cookery"; "he left the preparation of meals to his wife" stir - move an implement through; "stir the soup"; "stir my drink"; "stir the soil"
	2.	churn - be agitated; "the sea was churning in the storm" roil, moil, boil seethe, roll - boil vigorously; "The liquid was seething"; "The water rolled" move - move so as to change position, perform a nontranslational motion; "He moved his hand slightly to the right"

churn

verb

1. stir up, beat, disturb, swirl, agitate The powerful thrust of the boat's engine churned the water.

2. swirl, boil, toss, foam, seethe, froth Churning seas smash against the steep cliffs.

Collins Thesaurus of the English Language – Complete and Unabridged 2nd Edition. 2002 © HarperCollins Publishers 1995, 2002

churn

verb

1. To cause to move to and fro violently:

agitate, convulse, rock, shake.

2. To be in a state of emotional or mental turmoil:

boil, bubble, burn, ferment, seethe, simmer, smolder.

Translations

Spanish / Español

Select a language:

lechera mantequera

churn

[tʃɜːn]

A. N (for butter) → mantequera f (Brit) (for milk) → lechera f

B. VT

1. [+ butter] → batir or hacer en una mantequera

2. (fig) (also churn up) [+ sea, mud] → revolver, agitar

C. VI [sea] → revolverse, agitarse
her stomach was churning → se le revolvía el estómago

churn out VT + ADV (pej) [+ books, goods] → producir en serie, producir en masa

Collins Spanish Dictionary - Complete and Unabridged 8th Edition 2005 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1971, 1988 © HarperCollins Publishers 1992, 1993, 1996, 1997, 2000, 2003, 2005

churn

(tʃəːn) noun

1. a machine for making butter. mantequera

2. a large milk can. lechera

References in classic literature ?

He upset the churn yesterday and spilled a big churning of cream over the yard.

View in context

She could grind, and pump, and churn, and buzz by the week, and never stop to oil up or blow out.

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But my woman said she wanted to churn, so I tuck a churn for the change.”

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His wilful hands and feet began to beat and churn about, spasmodically and feebly.

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At the further end the great churn could be seen revolving, and its slip-slopping heard--the moving power being discernible through the window in the form of a spiritless horse walking in a circle and driven by a boy.

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Besides sawing wood and turning his lathe and grindstone, Daylight connected the power with the churn; but his great triumph was when he put his arm around Dede's waist and led her out to inspect a washing-machine, run by the Pelton wheel, which really worked and really washed clothes.

View in context

From the vibrating line extending the entire length of the upper part of the boat, and from its now being more tight than a harpstring, you would have thought the craft had two keels -- one cleaving the water, the other the air --as the boat churned on through both opposing elements at once.

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The song of pleasant stations beside the salt lagoons, The song of blowing squadrons that shuffled down the dunes, The song of midnight dances that churned the sea to flame-- The Beaches of Lukannon--before the sealers came!

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Then he fell, and lay where he fell, howling lugubriously as the long train of sleds churned by.

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But on the road, the highroad along which the troops marched, there was no such freshness even at night or when the road passed through the forest; the dew was imperceptible on the sandy dust churned up more than six inches deep.

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Below, the black tossing sea was churned into phosphorescent spray, as the steamer drove onwards into the night.

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The boys looked on and laughed, and when he no longer quivered and churned his legs they continued to laugh.