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

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

Easy learning the cat the road to the kirn.

From The Proverbs of Scotland by Hislop, Alexander

Learn the cat the road to the kirn, and she'll aye be lickin'.

From The Proverbs of Scotland by Hislop, Alexander

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

She cam' drivin' by Cauldbrae i' her bit cart wi' shaggy Shetlands to it an' stapped at the dairy for a drink o' buttermilk frae the kirn.

From Greyfriars Bobby by Atkinson, Eleanor Stackhouse