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

To select a discipline, students rotate through programs during an exploratory first semester.

From The Wall Street Journal

Boston Dynamics gave its Atlas robots “grippers” with just three digits, one of which can rotate to also serve as a thumb to help it hold objects.

From MarketWatch

Boston Dynamics gave its Atlas robots “grippers” with just three digits, one of which can rotate to also serve as a thumb to help it hold objects.

From MarketWatch

As this material spirals inward under immense gravity, it forms a rotating, disk-shaped structure before falling into the black hole.

From Science Daily

Throw in a rotating, addictive playlist of earworms and humorous commercial bumpers, and every moment of “Haikyu!!” feels precious.

From Salon

Related Words

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