I. ˈchərn, -ə̄n, -əin noun
( -s )
Etymology: Middle English chyrne, cherne, from Old English cyrin, cyrn; akin to Middle High German kern churn, German dialect kern cream, Old Norse kjarni churn, Old English cyrnel kernel, diminutive of corn grain; from the granular appearance of cream as it turns to butter — more at corn
1. : a vessel in which milk or cream is stirred, beaten, or otherwise agitated (as by a plunging or revolving dasher or by shaking) in order to separate the oily globules from the other parts and thus to obtain butter
2. : an agitated state (as of water) : churning
the ground is a churn of straw and mud — John Galsworthy
3. Britain : a large metal can for conveying milk
II. verb
( -ed/-ing/-s )
Etymology: Middle English chyrnen, from chyrne
transitive verb
1. : to stir, beat, or agitate (milk or cream) in a churn in order to make butter : make (butter) by churning
2.
a. : to stir or agitate violently, heavily, or continuously
b. : to make (as foam) by thus doing
3. : to produce by vigorous or continuous mental activity
whose head was churning ideas for social change — Saturday Review
intransitive verb
1. : to work a churn (as in making butter)
2.
a. : to produce or be in violent or continuous agitation
the steamer's screw churns
b. : to proceed by means of rotating members (as wheels or propellers)
the tug churns down the bay
the car veered into a snowdrift and churned to a halt
III. transitive verb
: to subject (a client's security account) to excessive numbers of purchases and sales primarily to generate additional commissions