churning
churning — verb
1. to turn over again and again in rough, powerful motion, or to make liquid, mud,
to turn over again and again in rough, powerful motion, or to make liquid, mud, foam, or something similar move that way
Brown floodwater was churning under the bridge after three days of rain.
be churning for rough moving water
The washing machine kept churning the muddy clothes while the power flickered.
transitive: churn + object
Foam was churning around the boat as the rescue crew reached the rocks.
The cement mixer spent all morning churning wet sand, gravel, and water together.
文法句型
be churning
churn + noun
churn with + foam / mud / water
用法筆記
Often describes water, foam, mud, or machines moving something roughly. Distinguish from sense 2: this sense is about forceful motion itself, not the specific butter-making process.
常見錯誤
2. to work milk or cream steadily in a butter-making container until it turns into
to work milk or cream steadily in a butter-making container until it turns into butter
Padma spent the early morning churning cream in the shed before the market opened.
churn cream before selling butter
The machine kept churning milk until yellow butter gathered at the top.
churn milk until butter forms
At the farm museum, children watched a guide churning butter by hand.
For winter storage, Arjun was churning fresh cream into butter in clay jars.
文法句型
churn + cream / milk
churn + cream into butter
be churning butter
用法筆記
Usually takes milk or cream as the object and often mentions the result with 'into butter'. Distinguish from sense 1: sense 2 names a traditional food-making process, not rough movement in general.
常見錯誤
3. when your stomach seems to twist and roll inside you, usually because of nerves,
when your stomach seems to twist and roll inside you, usually because of nerves, fear, or sickness
Tamar's stomach was churning before the violin audition at the music school.
stomach churning from nerves
After the rough ferry ride, my stomach kept churning for another hour.
stomach churning from motion sickness
Aaron felt his stomach churning when the principal called his name.
Even the smell of spoiled fish had Diego's stomach churning in seconds.
- settle
to become calm and stop feeling sick
文法句型
stomach churns
feel + stomach churning
be churning with nerves / sickness
用法筆記
Used almost only about the stomach and often linked to nerves, fear, or motion sickness. Unlike sense 1, the movement is inside your body, so the focus is on nausea or anxiety.
常見錯誤
4. if customers are churning, they leave one provider and sign up with a rival serv
if customers are churning, they leave one provider and sign up with a rival service instead
After the price increase, thousands of prepaid users started churning within a month.
customers start churning after a change
After two months of billing errors, subscribers were quickly churning away from the streaming app.
be churning from a service
When rivals offered cheaper data plans, small-business clients began churning to other carriers.
The bank studied why new cardholders were churning after only two billing cycles.
文法句型
customers churn
be churning from + service
churn to + rival provider
用法筆記
The subject is usually customers, subscribers, users, or clients. Common in telecom, banking, and subscription businesses, where it contrasts with keeping or retaining customers.
常見錯誤
churning — noun
1. the rate or continuing pattern of customers leaving a service and joining a comp
the rate or continuing pattern of customers leaving a service and joining a competitor over time
Monthly churning rose after the phone company ended its low-price family plan.
monthly churning in a business report
At Monday's board meeting, the finance team presented a report on churning among first-year subscribers.
report on churning among a customer group
Heavy churning in rural towns made the internet provider rewrite its spring pricing.
Investors worried that churning would erase the gains from the new autumn advertising campaign.
- attrition
formal business term for gradual loss over time
- customer loss
plain explanation, but less technical than churning
- turnover
can refer to people or staff more generally, so it is broader
- retention
keeping customers instead of losing them
文法句型
monthly churning
high / low churning
churning among + customer group
用法筆記
Usually discussed as a rate, level, or trend in business reports. It names the pattern measured over time, whereas verb sense 4 describes the customers who are leaving.