churn
English
/tʃɜː(ɹ)n/, /tʃɝn/
verb
Definitions
- (transitive) To agitate rapidly and repetitively, or to stir with a rowing or rocking motion; generally applies to liquids, notably cream.
- (transitive) To produce excessive and sometimes undesirable or unproductive activity or motion.
- (intransitive) To move rapidly and repetitively with a rocking motion; to tumble, mix or shake.
- (of a customer) To stop using a company's product or service.
- (informal) To repeatedly cancel and rebook a reservation in order to refresh ticket time limits or other fare rule restrictions.
- (US) To continually sign up for new credit cards in order to earn signup bonuses, airline miles, and other benefits.
Etymology
Inherited from Middle English cherne inherited from Old English ċyrn derived from Proto-Germanic *kernǭ (churn) inherited from Middle English chernen inherited from Old English ċernan derived from Proto-Germanic *kirnijaną (stir, churn).
Origin
Proto-Germanic
*kirnijaną
Gloss
stir, churn
Concept
Semantic Field
Food and drink
Ontological Category
Action/Process
Emoji
Timeline
Distribution of cognates by language
Geogrpahic distribution of cognates
Cognates and derived terms
- churnable English
- churner English
- churnest English
- churneth English
- churny English
- rechurn English
- karn Dutch, Flemish
- karnemelk Dutch, Flemish
- *ǵerh₂-n-on- Proto-Indo-European
- *kernô Proto-Germanic
- *kernǭ Proto-Germanic
- *kirnijaną Proto-Germanic
- *kirnijǭ Proto-Germanic
- atomkärna Swedish
- kärna Swedish
- kärnkraft Swedish
- kärnmjölk Swedish
- kärnvapen Swedish
- stadskärna Swedish
- ċernan Old English
- ċyrn Old English
- cherne Middle English
- chernen Middle English
- chyrne Middle English
- chyrnen Middle English
- kirna Old Norse
- kærne Danish
- kærnemælk Danish
- carnen Middle Dutch
- kerno Old High German
- chur Chinese
- kirna Old Swedish
- kiærne Old Swedish
- *tserne Old Frisian