verb
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churn
churn
Churn (verb) means to stir or agitate a liquid vigorously, especially to make butter from cream. Example: “She churned the cream for an hour to make fresh butter.”
verb
1
To stir or agitate a liquid vigorously, especially to make butter from cream.
"She churned the cream for an hour to make fresh butter."
"The propeller churned the water into foam."
2
To produce something rapidly and in large quantity, often with an implication of low care or quality.
"The studio churns out sequels every summer."
noun
1
The rate at which customers stop using a company's product or service.
"The startup struggled with high customer churn in its first year."
2
A container used for making butter by agitating cream.
"An old wooden churn stood in the corner of the barn."
How to use churn
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishTo stir something forcefully (like cream into butter), to mass-produce something quickly, or — in business — the rate customers walk away.
Common mistake
In a business context, "churn" almost always refers to customer loss, not production.
Common pairings
churn out
stomach churns
customer churn
churn butter
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Word forms
- Plural
- churns
- Third person singular
- churns
- Past tense
- churned
Fill the gap
Can you complete this real example?
She _____ the cream for an hour to make fresh butter.
Etymology
From Old English cyrin/cyrne (the container) and cernan (to stir), of unclear deeper origin, related to Dutch karn and German Kirne.
Synonyms
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Rhymes for churn
See all rhymes for churn →Frequently asked questions
What does “churn” mean?
The word “churn” means to stir or agitate a liquid vigorously, especially to make butter from cream. In plain terms, to stir something forcefully (like cream into butter), to mass-produce something quickly, or — in business — the rate customers walk away.
How do you pronounce “churn”?
“Churn” is pronounced churn (/t͡ʃɝn/ in IPA).
How do you use “churn” in a sentence?
Here is “churn” used in a sentence: “She churned the cream for an hour to make fresh butter.”
What part of speech is “churn”?
Depending on how it is used, “churn” can be a verb and a noun.
Where does the word “churn” come from?
The word “churn” comes from Old English. From Old English cyrin/cyrne (the container) and cernan (to stir), of unclear deeper origin, related to Dutch karn and German Kirne.
How many meanings does “churn” have?
“Churn” has 4 distinct senses listed in this dictionary. The most common is: to stir or agitate a liquid vigorously, especially to make butter from cream.
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