rotate
1[ roh-teyt or, especially British, roh-teyt ]
/ ˈroʊ teɪt or, especially British, roʊˈteɪt /
Save This Word!
verb (used with object), ro·tat·ed, ro·tat·ing.
to cause to turn around an axis or center point; revolve.
to cause to go through a cycle of changes; cause to pass or follow in a fixed routine of succession: to rotate farm crops.
to replace (a person, troops, etc.) by another or others, usually according to a schedule or plan.
verb (used without object), ro·tat·ed, ro·tat·ing.
to turn around on or as if on an axis.
to proceed in a fixed routine of succession: The sentries rotated in keeping watch.
QUIZ
CUDDLE UP! A COZY QUIZ ON FALL WORDS HAS ARRIVED
If autumn is your ideal season, spice up your repertoire of "fall" vocabulary with this quiz on some warm and vivid descriptive words for the season.
Question 1 of 10
Which of the following words means “to make a crackling sound; crackle”?
Meet Grammar CoachImprove Your Writing
Origin of rotate
1First recorded in 1800–10; from Latin rotātus (past participle of rotāre “to cause to spin, roll, move in a circle”), equivalent to rot(a) “wheel” + -ātus-ate1
synonym study for rotate
1. See turn.
OTHER WORDS FROM rotate
Other definitions for rotate (2 of 2)
rotate2
[ roh-teyt ]
/ ˈroʊ teɪt /
adjective
wheel-shaped: applied especially to a gamopetalous short-tubed corolla with a spreading limb.
Origin of rotate
2Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2021
How to use rotate in a sentence
It consists of a fixed and a rotatable coil whose windings are not connected with each other.
The Radio Amateur's Hand Book|A. Frederick CollinsIt consists of a fixed and a rotatable coil with the coils connected in series.
The Radio Amateur's Hand Book|A. Frederick Collins
British Dictionary definitions for rotate
rotate
verb (rəʊˈteɪt)
to turn or cause to turn around an axis, line, or point; revolve or spin
to follow or cause to follow a set order or sequence
(of a position, presidency, etc) to pass in turn from one eligible party to each of the other eligible parties
(of staff) to replace or be replaced in turn
adjective (ˈrəʊteɪt)
botany designating a corolla the united petals of which radiate from a central point like the spokes of a wheel
Derived forms of rotate
rotatable, adjectiveCollins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
© William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012