rotatory
Americanadjective
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pertaining to or of the nature of rotation.
rotatory motion.
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rotating, as an object.
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passing or following in rotation or succession.
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causing rotation, as a muscle.
adjective
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of rotatory
1745–55; < New Latin rotātōrius, equivalent to Latin rotā ( re ) ( see rotate 1) + -tōrius -tory 1
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.
So, when it comes to rotating players, is it really any wonder that managers are increasingly choosing to use domestic cup competitions as rotatory playgrounds?
From BBC ● Apr. 5, 2026
Although the gaseous atmospheric envelope of the planet partakes of this general rotatory motion under the influence of the incepting fields, the latter have apparently no action upon it.
From The Energy System of Matter A Deduction from Terrestrial Energy Phenomena by James Weir
The motion of the pendulum, whether it be completely rotatory or merely vibratory in nature, invariably gives rise to heating at the bearings or supporting points.
From The Energy System of Matter A Deduction from Terrestrial Energy Phenomena by James Weir
Owing to the rotatory motion of the globe and also to the curve of the coasts, the Stream follows a constant direction to the north-east.
From The Strand Magazine, Volume XXVII, Issue 160, April, 1904 by Various
Following Stroke.—This is putting a rotatory motion on a ball, causing it to spin on a horizontal axis forwards instead of backwards.
From Hoyle's Games Modernized by Louis Hoffmann
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
