rotate

¹ American  

[roh-teyt] / ˈroʊ teɪt /

adjective

1. wheel-shaped: applied especially to a gamopetalous short-tubed corolla with a spreading limb.

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rotate ² American  

[roh-teyt, roh-teyt] / ˈroʊ teɪt, roʊˈteɪt /

verb (used with object)

rotated, rotating

1. to cause to turn around an axis or center point; revolve.

   Synonyms:

   whirl, wheel

2. to cause to go through a cycle of changes; cause to pass or follow in a fixed routine of succession.

   to rotate farm crops.

3. to replace (a person, troops, etc.) by another or others, usually according to a schedule or plan.

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verb (used without object)

rotated, rotating

1. to turn around on or as if on an axis.

2. to proceed in a fixed routine of succession.

   The sentries rotated in keeping watch.

rotate British  

verb

1. to turn or cause to turn around an axis, line, or point; revolve or spin

2. to follow or cause to follow a set order or sequence

3. (of a position, presidency, etc) to pass in turn from one eligible party to each of the other eligible parties

4. (of staff) to replace or be replaced in turn

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adjective

1. botany designating a corolla the united petals of which radiate from a central point like the spokes of a wheel

Related Words

See turn.

Other Word Forms

• nonrotatable adjective
• nonrotating adjective
• rotatable adjective
• rotatably adverb
• unrotated adjective
• unrotating adjective

Etymology

Origin of rotate¹

1775–85; < Latin rot ( a ) wheel + -ate ¹

Origin of rotate¹

First 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 -ate ¹

Example Sentences

It might not be too late to rotate out of those positions and into the new favored sectors.

From The Wall Street Journal

After an inside edge second ball narrowly missed his stumps, he dropped his next delivery into the off side and rotated the strike.

From BBC

They rotated the strike well and punished any loose balls with Root bringing up his 67th half-century, and the 100-partnership, with a single off Webster.

From Barron's

While this week’s trading action was relatively light, and interrupted by the New Year’s Day holiday, investors nevertheless continued to rotate out of many stocks that powered 2025’s gains.

From The Wall Street Journal

Energy stocks also added momentum as oil held firm and investors rotated back into Canadian resource names.

From The Wall Street Journal

Related Words

• pivot
• revolve
• spin
• swivel
• twirl
• twist
• whirl