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Synonyms

rotation

American  
[roh-tey-shuhn] / roʊˈteɪ ʃən /

noun

  1. the act of rotating; a turning around as on an axis.

  2. Astronomy.

    1. the movement or path of the earth or a heavenly body turning on its axis.

    2. one complete turn of such a body.

  3. regularly recurring succession, as of officials.

  4. Agriculture. crop rotation.

  5. Mathematics.

    1. an operation that rotates rotate a geometric figure about a fixed point.

    2. curl.

  6. Pool. a game in which the balls are played in order by number.

  7. Baseball. pitching rotation.


rotation British  
/ rəʊˈteɪʃən /

noun

  1. the act of rotating; rotary motion

  2. a regular cycle of events in a set order or sequence

  3. a planned sequence of cropping according to which the crops grown in successive seasons on the same land are varied so as to make a balanced demand on its resources of fertility

  4. maths

    1. a circular motion of a configuration about a given point or line, without a change in shape

    2. a transformation in which the coordinate axes are rotated by a fixed angle about the origin

    3. Abbreviation (for sense 4c): rot.  another name for curl

    1. the spinning motion of a body, such as a planet, about an internal axis Compare revolution

    2. one complete turn in such motion

"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

rotation Scientific  
/ rō-tāshən /
  1. The motion of an object around an internal axis.

  2. A single complete cycle of such motion.

  3. See Note at revolution

  4. A transformation of a coordinate system in which the new axes have a specified angular displacement from their original position while the origin remains fixed.


Other Word Forms

  • nonrotation noun
  • nonrotational adjective
  • rotational adjective
  • unrotational adjective

Etymology

Origin of rotation

1545–55; < Latin rotātiōn- (stem of rotātiō ) a rotation, rolling, equivalent to rotāt ( us ) ( rotate 1 ) + -iōn- -ion

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

United's relative lack of games - they are currently in a stretch of 23 days without one - means rotation is a choice rather than a necessity.

From BBC

These results suggest that simplifying food choices, such as relying on a set rotation of meals and keeping calorie intake steady, may help people develop habits that are easier to maintain.

From Science Daily

Farmers usually consider crop prices, expected yields, rotation constraints, and other factors as well.

From Barron's

He wears the same two unremarkable suits on rotation during a trial, “and then I go burn them.”

From The Wall Street Journal

Cryptocurrencies appeared to be caught up in a wider rotation out of risk assets.

From Barron's