How do you use the word "churn" in a sentence?

Q: How do you use the word "churn" in a sentence?

Here are real-life examples of using "churn": If you churn goat milk, you'll get sour milk and butter. It will churn out only goodness in the long run.

Churn Meaning

/tʃɜːn/

Definition, CEFR level B2, pronunciation, examples, and quiz.

Definition

verbTo agitate rapidly and repetitively, or to stir with a rowing or rocking motion; generally applies to liquids, notably cream.

verbTo produce excessive and sometimes undesirable or unproductive activity or motion.

Sentence Examples

If you churn goat milk, you'll get sour milk and butter.

It will churn out only goodness in the long run.

Synonyms & Antonyms

Synonyms:

boil

Antonyms:

None

CEFR Practice Quiz

The farmer used a machine to ____ the cream into thick butter.

CEFR Practice Quiz (Alternate)

The farmer used an old wooden ____ to make fresh butter every morning.

Word Origin & History

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.

Literary Quotations & Historical Citations

"Churned in his teeth, the foamy venom rose." — 1717, Joseph Addison, Metamorphoses:

"The slope of the terrain, shaped like a funnel, squeezed the growing swell of churning snow into a steep, twisting gorge." — 2012, John Branch, “Snow Fall: The Avalanche at Tunnel Creek”, in New York Times:

"Subscriptions can be ended or canceled, which is known as churn. If there are no subscriptions, a customer churns when they stop using the product." — 2020, Carl S. Gold, Fighting Churn with Data, page 5:

"We notice by our exchanges that great efforts are being made throughout the western States especially, to palm off upon the farming public various kinds of patent churns, or to induce many mechanics to give large sums for the Right to manufacture the same—while in a majority of cases, we believe, the articles are absolutely worthless, or inferior to older kinds that might be procured for less money. We have repeatedly cautioned our readers against purchasing these new fangled churns until after they have been more fully tested; and we are happy to know that our remarks have saved not a few of our friends from imposition. To set this matter in a clearer light before our readers, we will glance at a few of the different churns, now most prominently before the public—some valuable, some useless." — 1849 January 15, “A Glance at Patent Churns”, in Ohio Cultivator: Devoted to Agriculture, Horticulture and Domestic Economy, volume 5, number 2, page 17:

"As the ends of the up and down platforms are not opposite each other, it is not possible to provide the ordinary type of barrow crossing, and the full churns were too heavy to be man-handled up and down the stairs of the footbridge." — 1951 October, “The Why and the Wherefore: Milk Platform at Beccles”, in Railway Magazine, page 717:

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