churning

[chur-ning]

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR churning ON THESAURUS.COM

noun

the act of a person or thing that churns.

the butter made at any one time.

Origin of churning

First recorded in 1400–50, churning is from the late Middle English word chyrnynge. See churn, -ing¹

churn

[churn]

noun

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

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

British. a large milk can.

an act of churning stocks by a stockbroker.

verb (used with object)

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

to make (butter) by the agitation of cream.

to shake or agitate with violence or continued motion: The storm churned the sea.

to turn over and over in the mind: His brain slowly churned all the choices and possibilities.

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

verb (used without object)

to operate a churn.

to move or shake in agitation, as a liquid or any loose matter: The leaves churned along the ground.

to be changing rapidly or be in a confused state: Her emotions churned as she viewed the horrific photos.

to have a queasy feeling, as from anxiety or disgust: My insides were churning at the thought of being on stage.

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

Verb Phrases

churn out, to produce mechanically, hurriedly, or routinely: He was hired to churn out verses for greeting cards.

Origin of churn

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

Related formschurn·a·ble, adjectivechurn·a·bil·i·ty, nounchurn·er, nounun·churn, verb (used with object)un·churned, adjectivewell-churned, adjective

Synonyms for churn

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR churn ON THESAURUS.COM

7. whip, toss, convulse.

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Related Words for churning

swirl, bubble, simmer, boil, froth, convulse, foam, jolt, agitate, seethe, toss, ferment, moil

Examples from the Web for churning

Contemporary Examples of churning

Or fast-fashion chains like Zara and H&M churning out runway imitations.
The Big Business of Fashion Counterfeits
Lizzie Crocker
December 24, 2014
There is all this churning violence out there of which probably 90 percent of Americans are barely aware.
Ebola and America’s Childish Narcissism
Michael Tomasky
October 18, 2014
But the proposition had eventually broken apart in the churning, acidic stomach of Washington politics.
Lake Bacon: The Story of The Man Who Wanted Us to Eat Mississippi Hippos
Jon Mooallem
August 10, 2014
Families that do build petty empires flame out, but the grand empire ruled by our churning elites burns on, evidently, forever.
Can We Divorce Our Elites?
James Poulos
April 13, 2014
It's easy to slam the studios for churning out crass sequels and safe remakes and endlessly rebootable superhero pictures.
‘Noah’ Review: An Ambitious, Flawed Biblical Tale That You Have to See
Andrew Romano
March 28, 2014

Historical Examples of churning

She heard the clatter of pattens in the room below; it was Nancy churning in the dairy.
The Manxman
Hall Caine
That's the churning of the nightjar going up to Ballure glen.
The Manxman
Hall Caine
He will charge the boat, and nothing but the churning propeller will keep him from ramming the boat.
Tales of Fishes
Zane Grey
Being as destructive as the poison which was created during the churning of the Amrita.
Russian Fairy Tales
W. R. S. Ralston
The proper temperature for churning ranges from 58° to 62° Fahrenheit.
Agriculture for Beginners
Charles William Burkett

British Dictionary definitions for churning

churning

noun

the quantity of butter churned at any one time

the act, process, or effect of someone or something that churns

churn

noun

British a large container for milk

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

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Word Origin and History for churning

churn

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.

churn

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.