churn

English

Etymology

From Old English ċyrin. Cognate with West Frisian tsjerne and Dutch karnen.

Pronunciation

• (UK) enPR: chû(r)n, IPA: /tʃɜː(r)n/, SAMPA: /tS3:(r)n/
• (US) IPA: /tʃɚn/, SAMPA: /tS@`n/

• Audio (US)

  (file)

• Rhymes: -ɜː(r)n

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.

2. (transitive, figuratively) To produce excessive and sometimes undesirable or unproductive activity or motion.
3. (intransitive) To move rapidly and repetitively with a rocking motion; to tumble, mix or shake.

   I was so nervous my stomach was churning.

Derived terms

• churn out

Translations

agitate rapidly

Dutch: karnen (nl) (butter), agiteren (nl), (fluid) Finnish: kirnuta (fi) French: baratter (fr) German: durchschütteln (de), aufwühlen (de) Italian: frullare (it), sbattere (it), ribollire (it), spumeggiare (it)

Portuguese: agitar (pt) Russian: сбивать (ru), взбивать (ru) Spanish: batir (butter), agitar (water) Swedish: kärna (sv)

figuratively: produce excessive motion

Dutch: woelen (nl) Finnish: hämmentää (fi)

German: wusseln (de), rütteln (de), wühlen (de),

tumble

Dutch: woelen (nl) Finnish: velloa (fi)

German: durchschütteln (de), aufwühlen (de) Italian: spumeggiare (it), frullare (it), ribollire (it)

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.

Translations

vessel for churning

Bulgarian: буталка (bg) f. Dutch: botervat (nl) n. Finnish: kirnu (fi) French: baratte (fr) f. German: Rührtrommel (de) f., Butterfass (de) n., Butterfertiger (de) m. Hebrew: נטישה (he)

Italian: zangola (it) Macedonian: бутин (mk) (bútin) m. Russian: маслобойка (ru) f. Spanish: mantequera (es) f. (butter), lechera (es) f. (milk) Swedish: kärna (sv) c. West Frisian: tsjerne (fy) c.

time when customer switches provider

Dutch: overstap (nl) m.

people ready to switch carrier

Dutch: overstapkandidaten (nl) pl.