释义 |
churn 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 |