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Added 9 October 2026

churn

/tʃɜːn/ verb

In Latin: agitare Wiktionary

verb Definition from Wiktionary (CC BY-SA). Pronunciation from Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org. More about churn at Wordnik → Where our words come from →

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.
To produce excessive and sometimes undesirable or unproductive activity or motion.
To move rapidly and repetitively with a rocking motion; to tumble, mix or shake.
I was so nervous that my stomach was churning.

noun

A vessel used for churning, especially for producing butter.
a butter churn
A milk churn (container for the transportation of milk).
Customer attrition; the phenomenon or rate of customers leaving a company.

Origin

Noun from Middle English chyrne, cherne, kyrne ( > Scots kirn), from Old English ċyrn, ċyrin, ċirin (“churn”), from Proto-Germanic *kirnijǭ (“churn”); verb from Middle English chyrnen from Old English ċernan, from Proto-Germanic *kirnijaną (“to churn, stir”), of unknown origin. Cognate with West Frisian tsjerne, Dutch karn, Walloon serene, German Karn, Kirne, Norwegian Bokmål kjerne, Danish kærne, Swedish kärna, Icelandic kirna.

From Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org (CC BY-SA)

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