autorotation

[ aw-toh-roh-tey-shuhn ]

nounAeronautics.

the condition of flight occurring when lift is derived solely from the action of air upon the unpowered rotor of a moving helicopter or autogiro.

Origin of autorotation

First recorded in 1915–20; auto-¹ + rotation

Other words from autorotation

au·to·ro·ta·tion·al, adjective

Words Nearby autorotation

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use autorotation in a sentence

The monocopter is thus equipped with a natural fail-safe, thanks to this ability to descend gracefully in autorotation in the event of a power failure.
Inspired by a seed, this rotating drone will make your head spin | Kelsey D. Atherton | November 18, 2021 | Popular-Science
He allowed his training to take over and skillfully put the machine into an autorotation to prevent a catastrophic nosedive into the mountain.
After the Crash, They Said I Was Fine. I Wasn't. | Erin Tierney | February 4, 2021 | Outside Online

British Dictionary definitions for autorotation

autorotation

/ (ˌɔːtəʊrəʊˈteɪʃən) /

noun

the continuous rotation of a body in an airflow, such as that of the rotor blades of a helicopter in an unpowered descent

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

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