English

Verb

churn ‎(third-person singular simple present churns, present participle churning, simple past and past participle churned)

1. (transitive) To agitate rapidly and repetitively, or to stir with a rowing or rocking motion; generally applies to liquids, notably cream.

   Now the cream is churned to make butter.

   • Addison

     Churned in his teeth, the foamy venom rose.

2. (transitive, figuratively) To produce excessive and sometimes undesirable or unproductive activity or motion.
   • 2012 November 17, John Branch, “Snow Fall : The Avalanche at Tunnel Creek”, in New York Time:

     The slope of the terrain, shaped like a funnel, squeezed the growing swell of churning snow into a steep, twisting gorge.

3. (intransitive) To move rapidly and repetitively with a rocking motion; to tumble, mix or shake.

   I was so nervous my stomach was churning.

4. (informal, travel, aviation) (in a booking system) to repeatedly cancel and rebook a reservation in order to refresh ticket time limits or other fare rule restrictions.

Derived terms

• churn out

Translations

Noun

churn ‎(plural churns)

1. A vessel used for churning.

   a butter churn

2. (telecommunications) The time when a consumer switches his/her service provider.
3. (telecommunications) The mass of people who are ready to switch carriers, expressed by the formula Customer Quits/Customer base.

Derived terms

• milk churn

Translations