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

Executives said the company needed to adjust its production and distribution network to churn out new products more quickly and offer more flexibility on packaging.

From MarketWatch ● Jul. 1, 2026

The program, which continues to churn out graduates landing in all corners of the industry, was founded with a focus on training students for a business that was transformed during Davis’s career.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 22, 2026

If Starmer does leave office this year, Britain will get its seventh prime minister in a decade -- an unprecedented rate of churn in its modern history.

From Barron's ● Jun. 21, 2026

"The immediate concern is the plastics becoming microplastics. The mowers churn up plastic leaves and petals and it gets embedded over the years," she said.

From BBC ● Jun. 7, 2026

Madam called for tea in her bedchamber the next morning and sent for Ruth, who was pumping the butter churn with vigor.

From "Chains" by Laurie Halse Anderson

Kinshasa, an overcrowded city of more than 17 million people, churns out at least 10 tonnes of plastic waste every day, according to environmental experts.

From Barron's ● May 20, 2026

Here’s a look at who the Chargers have selected so far as the draft churns through rounds 4-7 in Pittsburgh on Saturday.

From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 25, 2026

It churns out about 10 servers an hour.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Feb. 24, 2026

At Exigo Recycling's sprawling plant in Haryana state, a machine churns the batteries from e-scooters into a jet-black powder.

From Barron's ● Feb. 18, 2026

My stomach churns with nausea at the thought of death.

From "First They Killed My Father: A Daughter of Cambodia Remembers" by Loung Ung

Local data has shown the same goes for production -- in 2024, Bulgaria produced 687.6 million litres of cow's milk, a drop of nearly 20 percent against 856.1 million litres churned out in 2020.

From Barron's ● Jun. 25, 2026

Whatever the cause, the turf war churned up inside information about Pulte and his grandson.

From Salon ● Jun. 9, 2026

Despite having churned through eight presidents in the last 10 years, Peru's economy has remained relatively stable.

From BBC ● Jun. 6, 2026

“It’s unfortunately hard for consumers to know if they’re getting churned or if the newer product really is that much better for them, even after factoring in any relevant surrender charges.”

From MarketWatch ● May 27, 2026

Still, every once in a while I couldn’t help but think about that reporter’s question, and a sick feeling churned my stomach.

From "Red Kayak" by Priscilla Cummings

So with a bit of strategic churning — that is, adding and dropping services month to month — you can still catch the best shows while keeping your monthly streaming budget under $50.

From MarketWatch ● Jun. 30, 2026

A club night dedicated to a niche, harsh subgenre of music would be lucky to last three years in a churning city like Los Angeles.

From Los Angeles Times ● May 20, 2026

Billboards abound, there are signs outside bars and stores are churning out tournament-themed merchandise.

From BBC ● May 15, 2026

Ukrainian companies are already churning out products in Germany, Poland and the U.K.

From The Wall Street Journal ● May 13, 2026

They appear perfectly still, seated on their shortboards, but underneath the water their feet are kicking and churning.

From "Clairboyance" by Kristiana Kahakauwila

Related Words

• boil
• bubble
• simmer
• swirl