kirn

¹ American  

[kurn, kirn] / kɜrn, kɪrn /

verb (used with or without object)

1. to churn.

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noun

1. a churn.

kirn ² American  

[kurn, kirn] / kɜrn, kɪrn /

noun

Scot. and North England.

1. a harvest celebration; a feast or party celebrating a successful harvest.

2. the harvesting of the last handful of oats, wheat, or other grain, noting either the end of the harvest season or the winning of a race against other reapers.

3. the last handful of oats, wheat, or other grain that is gathered in the harvest.

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Etymology

Origin of kirn¹

1300–50; Middle English kirne (noun) < Scandinavian; compare Old Norse kirnuaskr a churn; cognate with churn

Origin of kirn²

First recorded in 1770–80; origin uncertain; perhaps akin to corn ¹

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

kirn

In Arco's example of an artificial-language, plurals end in s, numerals must follow nouns and kirn, kima, kime, kimi mean who, whose, to whom, and whom.

From Time Magazine Archive

Thence countra wives, wi' toil and pain, May plunge an' plunge the kirn in vain; For oh! the yellow treasure's ta'en By witchin' skill; An' dawtit, twal-pint hawkie's gane As yell's the bill.

From Poems and Songs of Robert Burns by Burns, Robert

Come you an' gie us a hand wi' the kirn this meenit!

From The Lilac Sunbonnet by Crockett, S. R. (Samuel Rutherford)

James turned round, and, with a smile that was gradually acquiring breadth, said that he was "thinkin aboot Tam Brodie and the kirn."

From Wilson's Tales of the Borders and of Scotland Volume 13 by Various

Before I kirn over I attended an important meetin' of philosophers in Dublin, and the discussin' and talkin' you'd hear there about the world 'ud warm the very heart of Socrates or Aristotle himself.

From Public Speaking by Winter, Irvah Lester