churn

American  

[churn] / tʃɜrn /

noun

• churns
  plural

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

2. any of various containers or machines similar in shape or action to a butter churn, as a device for mixing beverages.

3. British. a large milk can.

4. an act of churning stocks by a stockbroker.

5. churn rate.

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verb (used with object)

• churns,
  present (3rd person singular)
• churned,
  past participle,  past
• churning
  present participle

1. to agitate in order to make into butter.

   to churn cream.

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

3. to shake or agitate with violence or continued motion.

   The storm churned the sea.

   Synonyms:

   convulse, toss, whip

4. to turn over and over in the mind.

   His brain slowly churned all the choices and possibilities.

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

verb (used without object)

• churns,
  present (3rd person singular)
• churned,
  past participle,  past
• churning
  present participle

1. to operate a churn.

2. to move or shake in agitation, as a liquid or any loose matter.

   The leaves churned along the ground.

3. to be changing rapidly or be in a confused state.

   Her emotions churned as she viewed the horrific photos.

4. to have a queasy feeling, as from anxiety or disgust.

   My insides were churning at the thought of being on stage.

5. (of a stockbroker) to engage in the practice of churning.

verb phrase

1. churn out to produce mechanically, hurriedly, or routinely.

   He was hired to churn out verses for greeting cards.

churn British  

/ tʃɜːn /

noun

1. a large container for milk

2. 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

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verb

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

   2. to make (butter) by this process

2. (sometimes foll by up) to move or cause to move with agitation

   ideas churned in his head

3. (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

4. (of a government) to pay benefits to a wide category of people and claw it back by taxation from the well off

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

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• churnability
  noun
• churner
  noun
• unchurn
  verb (used with object)
• churnable
  adjective
• unchurned
  adjective
• well-churned
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• churns
  plural

Participles

• churning
  present
• churned
  past

Conjugated Forms

Present

• churn
  simple
• churns
  simple
• have churned
  perfect
• has churned
  perfect
• am churning
  progressive
• are churning
  progressive
• is churning
  progressive
• have been churning
  perfect progressive
• has been churning
  perfect progressive

Past

• churned
  simple
• had churned
  perfect
• was churning
  progressive
• were churning
  progressive
• had been churning
  perfect progressive

Future

• will churn
  simple
• will have churned
  perfect
• will be churning
  progressive
• will have been churning
  perfect progressive

Etymology

Origin of churn

First recorded before 1000; Middle English noun chirne, cherne, Old English cyrne cyr(i)n; cognate with Middle Low German kerne, Old Norse kjarni, kirna

Explanation

A churn is a container that you fill with cream and then agitate until the cream becomes butter. You may have only bought butter at the store, but your ancestors probably used a traditional plunger-type churn to make their own. The verb churn means to mix cream until it turns into butter, separating out the buttermilk. You can make your own butter by churning it in a jar if you don't have a churn, shaking heavy cream until it becomes solid. To churn can also simply mean to agitate, like a boat might churn in a turbulent ocean, or your stomach might churn with anxiety about your big test the next day.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

churn churns churned churning

So, it is a time of churn at Villa Park, but there is no reason to believe Emery cannot work more of his magic - while teenage striker Brian Madjo could be a breakout star.

From BBC ● Aug. 19, 2026

The professional world’s social media of choice has instituted a “seems like AI slop” button in an attempt to stop the churn of LLM-written “thought leadership” posts haunting the platform.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 12, 2026

Disney also reported solid results in its streaming business, where it pointed to less "churn" from customers coming and going.

From Barron's ● Aug. 5, 2026

The move comes as Disney looks to boost engagement and reduce churn on its streaming platform.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 5, 2026

By sunset, though, the forest has disappeared, replaced by rolling wheat fields and cow pastures: Normandy, breadbasket and butter churn of France.

From "The Inquisitor's Tale" by Adam Gidwitz

Just north of Bath, Marshfield Farm churns out some of the West Country's best-known ice creams using milk from its own herd.

From BBC ● Jul. 29, 2026

It also churns out affordable Xtep-branded running shoes in the $30 to $75 price range, as well as high-end Xtep-branded running sneakers.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 24, 2026

Ineratec's plant churns out some 2,500 tonnes of fuel a year, enough to power only about 50 transatlantic flights.

From Barron's ● May 31, 2026

In October 2019, he and Moolenaar co-chaired the NSLF, the Fellowship student program that churns up potential congressional interns and Fellowship stars.

From Salon ● May 29, 2026

The plow digs up the plants and churns the potatoes to the surface, where they can be picked up and put into sacks.

From "Stone Fox" by John Reynolds Gardiner

Estimates churned out by the Congressional Budget Office usually start by assuming a 5% VAT rate.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 27, 2026

Returning to Japan in the 1970s, Kusama checked herself into a Tokyo psychiatric hospital, where she lived -- and churned out work -- for the rest of her long life.

From Barron's ● Aug. 27, 2026

According to Roku, the future of entertainment is nonstop A.I. slop, churned out by absolute randos, playing 24/7.

From Slate ● Aug. 16, 2026

My smoothie churned in my stomach, and I told Jim that I needed to go.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 7, 2026

Ahead the river churned toward the next bend.

From "Ruby Holler" by Sharon Creech

To meet that demand, massive corporate farms also began churning out chicken, lowering the cost of the meat.

From Slate ● Aug. 24, 2026

During the library’s Centennial Festival in July, the machine had a consistent wait, churning out 255 figures in a single day.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 10, 2026

France recently passed legislation to fine apparel companies for churning out high volumes of cheap clothing.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 3, 2026

The tepid performance on the broader market in July actually belies churning beneath the surface.

From MarketWatch ● Aug. 1, 2026

The wagon bobbed and wove in the churning molasses.

From "I Survived the Great Molasses Flood, 1919" by Lauren Tarshis

Related Words

• boil
• bubble
• simmer
• swirl