churn

play

noun \ˈchərn\

Definition of churn

: a container in which cream is stirred or shaken to make butter

See churn defined for English-language learners

Recent Examples of churn from the Web

Disconnect, get away from Twitter and Snap and the endless churn of bad news.

— wired staff, WIRED, "The FOMO Intensifies," 7 July 2017
The quick end to her career was representative of the churn and burn so many in the industry face.

— Longreads, "The Top 5 Longreads of the Week," 5 July 2017
The problem with this safeguard is that there’s a lot of churn among Medicaid recipients, meaning that people lose eligibility and then regain it soon after.

— philip bump, Washington Post, "‘Fox and Friends’ let Kellyanne Conway skate on her Medicaid claims. But let’s not.," 26 June 2017
The restaurant scene is a never-ending churn of openings and closings.

— michael klein, Philly.com, "Restaurant closings: Penne, Barbacoa, Tilted Kilt," 25 June 2017
The first is that Twitter sees a lot of churn in its usernames.

— philip bump, Washington Post, "How the people who asked Trump to run on Twitter in 2013 feel about him now," 20 June 2017
Reliever Miguel Castro joined the Orioles on Monday from Double-A Bowie for their series opener in Chicago against the White Sox, continuing a bullpen churn caused by an unprecedented short run of starts by their rotation.

— jon meoli, baltimoresun.com, "Orioles add Miguel Castro to worn-out bullpen for series opener; Logan Verrett optioned," 12 June 2017
Republicans and Democrats agree that the churn of the prison system, particularly with repeat drug offenders, hurts children, families and likely the economy.

— julia o'donoghue, NOLA.com, "No budget as Louisiana Legislature adjourns in meltdown," 8 June 2017
Can be served soft from the churn or allowed to harden in the freezer.

— judy buchenot, chicagotribune.com, "Learn how to raise backyard chickens at Kline Creek class," 8 June 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'churn.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Origin and Etymology of churn

Middle English chyrne, from Old English cyrin; akin to Old Norse kjarni churn

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: before 12th century

See Words from the same year

Other Household Terms

cruet, curiosity, duvet, fiasco, sham, taper, valance, whatnot

churn

verb

Definition of churn

transitive verb
1 : to agitate (milk or cream) in a churn in order to make butter The farmer churns his cream every day.
2a : to stir or agitate violently an old stern-wheeler churning the muddy river larger particles pound and churn the Moon's surface — E. M. Shoemakerb : to make (something, such as foam) by so doing
3 : to make (the account of a client) excessively active by frequent purchases and sales primarily in order to generate commissions unscrupulous brokers may churn an account, trading frequently to generate high commissions — Mary Rowland
intransitive verb
1 : to work a churn (as in making butter)
2a : to produce, proceed with, or experience violent motion or agitation her stomach was churning churning legsb : to proceed by or as if by means of rotating members (such as wheels or propellers) boats churning across the harbor

See churn defined for English-language learners

Examples of churn in a Sentence

The motorboats churned the water.
The water churned all around us.
The wheels began to slowly churn.
He showed them how to churn butter.

Recent Examples of churn from the Web

Simplot’s giant fryer can churn out 2,000 pounds of the crispy potato slivers in an hour.

— dana oland, idahostatesman, "Free Fry Day? You bet — J.R. Simplot Co. will serve ’em up at JUMP in July," 3 July 2017
Butterflies churned inside Isaac’s stomach as referee Curtis Blair tossed the basketball skyward for the tipoff.

— josh robbins, OrlandoSentinel.com, "Jonathan Isaac overcomes nerves in summer league debut," 1 July 2017
The flavor is called Sonoma Rosé and it was created by Smitten Ice Cream, a shop in California known for it's churned-to-order scoops.

— danielle tullo, Cosmopolitan, "OMG Boozy Rosé Ice Cream Exists and You Can Buy It By the Pint," 23 June 2017
Harvey reports that high winds or a tropical storm that churn up the waters could reduce the impact of the dead zone, but without those interventions researchers expect their estimates to stand.

— jason daley, Smithsonian, "Gulf of Mexico “Dead Zone” May Be Size of New Jersey This Year," 23 June 2017
Mega-producer Shonda Rhimes' ability to pick up exquisite real estate is almost equally as impressive as her knack for churning out TV gold.

— rachel swalin, ELLE Decor, "Shonda Rhimes' New Regal LA Home Is Full Of Drama, Just Like Her TV Shows," 23 June 2017
Today that brewery churns out 50 types of beer, cider and soda, plus contract brews for other breweries.

— chelsey lewis, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, "Tour de beer: A biking brewery tour in the Stevens Point area," 22 June 2017
A second type churned out all the proteins that allow cells to use vitamin B12, an essential molecule for metabolism.

— mitch leslie, Science | AAAS, "There are millions of protein factories in every cell. Surprise, they’re not all the same," 21 June 2017
That's the Hollywood rumor mill churning up again, and this time, whispers of romance are circulating around Bella Hadid...and Drake.

— de elizabeth, Teen Vogue, "Bella Hadid and Drake Spark Dating Rumors," 20 June 2017

Origin and Etymology of churn

see ¹churn

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 15th century

See Words from the same year

CHURN Defined for English Language Learners

churn

play

noun

Definition of churn for English Language Learners

: a container in which cream is stirred or shaken to make butter

churn

verb

Definition of churn for English Language Learners

: to stir or mix something (such as water or mud) with force
: to move in a circle
: to make (butter) by stirring or shaking cream in a churn

CHURN Defined for Kids

churn

play

noun \ˈchərn\

Definition of churn for Students

: a container in which milk or cream is stirred or shaken in making butter

churn

play

verb

Definition of churn for Students

churned

;

churning

1 : to stir or shake in a churn (as in making butter)
2 : to stir or shake forcefully The boat's motor churned up the mucky water.
3 : to feel the effects of an emotion (as fear) My stomach churned as I stood on the stage.
4 : to move by or as if by forceful stirring action Steamboats churned up and down the river.