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
Screw and Screw-back.—This is putting a rotatory motion on a ball, causing it to spin on a horizontal axis backwards.
From Hoyle's Games Modernized by Hoffmann, Louis
Cyclone, sī′klōn, n. a circular or rotatory storm.—adj.
From Chambers's Twentieth Century Dictionary (part 1 of 4: A-D) by Various
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 Weir, James
Their general nature is quite independent of the extent of that motion, whether it be merely vibratory through a small arc, or completely rotatory about the central axis.
From The Energy System of Matter A Deduction from Terrestrial Energy Phenomena by Weir, James
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.
