churning

[ chur-ning ]

noun

1. the act of a person or thing that churns.
2. the butter made at any one time.

churning

/ ˈtʃɜːnɪŋ /

noun

1. the quantity of butter churned at any one time
2. the act, process, or effect of someone or something that churns

Word History and Origins

Origin of churning¹

First recorded in 1400–50, churning is from the late Middle English word chyrnynge. See churn, -ing ¹

Example Sentences

The churning of warm and cool air in the atmosphere creates wind.

From Science News For Students

Once plate tectonics started, however, the convective churning of the mantle would have mixed up tungsten-182 with the other four isotopes of tungsten, yielding rocks with uniformly low tungsten-182 values.

From Quanta Magazine

The computer model also simulates how our brains process information, using the language of neuron activity and synapses, rather than the silicon-based churning CPUs in our current laptops.

From Singularity Hub 

The churning also keeps oxygen, nitrogen, phosphorus and other nutrients cycling through the atmosphere, oceans and rocks — and chemically transforms them into forms that living organisms can use.

From Science News

The churning of clients from one agency to another and the lack of will needed to stop this Sisyphean exercise is beyond frustrating.

From Voice of San Diego

Or fast-fashion chains like Zara and H&M churning out runway imitations.

From The Daily Beast

There is all this churning violence out there of which probably 90 percent of Americans are barely aware.

From The Daily Beast

But the proposition had eventually broken apart in the churning, acidic stomach of Washington politics.

From The Daily Beast

And with consumer demand churning along, businesses will have to add more to their inventories than previously thought.

From The Daily Beast

Families that do build petty empires flame out, but the grand empire ruled by our churning elites burns on, evidently, forever.

From The Daily Beast

Dorothy felt very wretched, and set about churning that evening with a heavy heart.

From Project Gutenberg

The Boulogne boat had suddenly gone dark, and she heard the churning of the screw.

From Project Gutenberg

Next morning churning had again become loathsome, sweeping was hard work, and dinner was a barbarous institution.

From Project Gutenberg

The notes mingled with the churning of the screw and fell in the darkness beyond the ship's lights abroad upon the sea.

From Project Gutenberg

Rather a curious feature in these parts is that most of the farms have a large wheel for churning attached to the house.

From Project Gutenberg

Related Words

• disturbance
• turbulence
• turmoil
• unrest
• upheaval