butter churn
2
7.4
- noun
- /ˈbʌtər tʃɜrn/
:
mantequera
- Apparently, during public demonstrations, the block would be replaced with a butter churn or water pump.
Examples
-
And I would like to part with a point of curiosity: does the small door off the kitchen near the butter churn lead to anything?
Blog text (10) -
"You're such a good person," I said, deliberately passing the butter churn without a glance.
Fiction book (1993) -
What do they call it around here, a butter churn?
-
The lovers' early meeting around the butter churn was gently flirtatious, a joy to watch, while the ribbon dances in the first act were full of charm.
Blog text (3) -
The added heat from the blazing cookhouse fires made Suzette's dress stick to her as she worked the paddle of the butter churn.
Fiction book (2002) -
The Lhasa also offered sweet or salty Tibetan tea, served at your table from a wooden butter churn and poured into a silver-rimmed wooden bowl.
Academic text (2008) -
I examined ducks, wreaths elaborately carved and gilded, picture frames of burnished cherry wood, and finally spotted a butter churn.
Fiction book (1993) -
Similar to a butter churn in appearance and use, this 1890s syllabub churn was used before handy electric mixers to thicken and froth.
Blog text (12) -
In the shadows at the foot of the bed, Smathers detected the old butter churn, wondering for an instant why it was there before the image came to his mind of Carrie May, sitting and churning on the porch, glistening with sweat, smiling, eyes wide and dancing.
Fiction book (2002) -
In the kitchen, I used my butter churn to make delicious homemade butter from fresh cream.
Synonyms
3
5.3
A container used to shake cream to make butter
1
3.9
A person or machine that stirs milk to make butter
A machine that churns cream or milk into butter
Surface Forms
Morphology
The MWE meaning — a vessel used to make butter — is directly compositional from 'butter' (the substance) and 'churn' (a vessel for making butter). Both constituents are concrete and the compound follows a common noun + noun composition pattern found across languages, so a B1 learner who knows both words would readily infer the meaning.
Etymology
The noun butter churn names the wooden jar and stick people used to shake cream until it turned into butter. The word churn is the strong shaking action, so the phrase simply means a tool 'for making butter'.