Churn

Table of contents

1 English 1.1 Pronunciation 1.2 Transitive verb 1.3 Intransitive verb 1.4 Noun 1.5 Derived terms

English

Pronunciation

chû(r)n, /tʃɜː(r)n/, /tS3:(r)n/

Rhymes: -ɜː(r)n

Transitive verb

to churn (churns, churning, churned)

1. 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. (figuratively) To produce excessive and sometimes undesirable or unproductive activity or motion.

The figurative meaning has been applied to stock transactions related to mutual funds . It describes a situation in which the fund managers move the money of their investors rapidly from one stock to another, taking a fee for each transaction out of the fund, but not necessarily increasing the value of the investment portfolio substantially. This is called churning the fund portfolio.

Intransitive verb

to churn (churns, churning, churned)

1. To move rapidly and repetitively with a rocking motion.

   I was so nervous my stomach was churning.

Noun

churn (plural churns)

1. A vessel used for churning.

   butter churn

Derived terms

• churn out