a vessel or machine in which cream or whole milk is vigorously agitated to produce butter
any similar device
the number of customers who switch from one supplier to another
verb
to stir or agitate (milk or cream) in order to make butter
to make (butter) by this process
(sometimes foll by up)to move or cause to move with agitationideas churned in his head
(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
(of a government) to pay benefits to a wide category of people and claw it back by taxation from the well off
to promote the turnover of existing subscribers leasing, and new subscribers joining, a cable television system or mobile phone company
Derived Formschurner, noun
Word Origin for churn
Old English ciern; related to Old Norse kjarni, Middle Low German kerne churn, German dialect Kern cream
Old English cyrin, from Proto-Germanic *kernjon (cf. Old Norse kirna, Swedish kärna, Danish kjerne, Dutch karn, Middle High German kern); probably akin to cyrnel "kernel" (see kernel) and describing the "grainy" appearance of churned cream.
v.
mid-15c., chyrnen, from churn (n.). Extended senses are from late 17c. Intransitive sense is from 1735. Related: Churned; churning. To churn out, of writing, is from 1902.
