ROTATE

Pronunciation (US):

(GB):

IPA (US):

 Dictionary entry overview: What does rotate mean? 

• ROTATE (verb)
  The verb ROTATE has 6 senses:

1. turn on or around an axis or a center

2. exchange on a regular basis

3. perform a job or duty on a rotating basis

4. cause to turn on an axis or center

5. turn outward

6. plant or grow in a fixed cyclic order of succession

  Familiarity information: ROTATE used as a verb is common.

 Dictionary entry details 

• ROTATE (verb)

Present simple: I / you / we / they rotate    ... he / she / it rotates   
Past simple: rotated   
Past participle: rotated   
-ing form: rotating   

Sense 1

Meaning:

Turn on or around an axis or a center

Classified under:

Verbs of walking, flying, swimming

Synonyms:

go around; revolve; rotate

Context example:

The lamb roast rotates on a spit over the fire

Hypernyms (to "rotate" is one way to...):

turn (move around an axis or a center)

Verb group:

circumvolve; rotate (cause to turn on an axis or center)

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "rotate"):

drive in; screw (cause to penetrate, as with a circular motion)

screw (turn like a screw)

wheel; wheel around (change directions as if revolving on a pivot)

gyrate; reel; spin; spin around; whirl (revolve quickly and repeatedly around one's own axis)

swirl; twiddle; twirl; whirl (turn in a twisting or spinning motion)

Sentence frame:

Something is ----ing PP

Derivation:

rotation (the act of rotating as if on an axis)

Sense 2

Meaning:

Exchange on a regular basis

Classified under:

Verbs of political and social activities and events

Context example:

We rotate the lead soprano every night

Hypernyms (to "rotate" is one way to...):

alternate (exchange people temporarily to fulfill certain jobs and functions)

Verb group:

rotate (plant or grow in a fixed cyclic order of succession)

rotate (perform a job or duty on a rotating basis)

Sentence frame:

Somebody ----s somebody

Derivation:

rotation (a planned recurrent sequence (of crops or personnel etc.))

Sense 3

Meaning:

Perform a job or duty on a rotating basis

Classified under:

Verbs of fighting, athletic activities

Context example:

Interns have to rotate for a few months

Hypernyms (to "rotate" is one way to...):

serve (do duty or hold offices; serve in a specific function)

Verb group:

rotate (exchange on a regular basis)

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s
Somebody ----s PP

Derivation:

rotation (a planned recurrent sequence (of crops or personnel etc.))

Sense 4

Meaning:

Cause to turn on an axis or center

Classified under:

Verbs of walking, flying, swimming

Synonyms:

circumvolve; rotate

Context example:

Rotate the handle

Hypernyms (to "rotate" is one way to...):

turn (change orientation or direction, also in the abstract sense)

Cause:

go around; revolve; rotate (turn on or around an axis or a center)

Verb group:

go around; revolve; rotate (turn on or around an axis or a center)

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "rotate"):

crank; crank up (rotate with a crank)

birl; spin; twirl; whirl (cause to spin)

birl; birle (cause a floating log to rotate by treading)

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s something
Something ----s something

Derivation:

rotation (the act of rotating as if on an axis)

rotatory (of or relating to or characteristic or causing an axial or orbital turn)

Sense 5

Meaning:

Turn outward

Classified under:

Verbs of walking, flying, swimming

Synonyms:

rotate; splay; spread out; turn out

Context example:

ballet dancers can rotate their legs out by 90 degrees

Hypernyms (to "rotate" is one way to...):

turn (change orientation or direction, also in the abstract sense)

Sentence frames:

Something ----s
Somebody ----s something
Something ----s something

Sense 6

Meaning:

Plant or grow in a fixed cyclic order of succession

Classified under:

Verbs of size, temperature change, intensifying, etc.

Context example:

We rotate the crops so as to maximize the use of the soil

Hypernyms (to "rotate" is one way to...):

grow (cause to grow or develop)

Verb group:

rotate (exchange on a regular basis)

Sentence frame:

Somebody ----s something

Derivation:

rotation (a planned recurrent sequence (of crops or personnel etc.))

 Context examples 

Often refers to the arrangement of the side groups on a molecule which can freely rotate into different positions without breaking any bonds.

(Conformation, NCI Thesaurus)

They also stopped sorghum plants from producing sorgoleone, which would benefit farmers who want to rotate different crops with sorghum.

(Transferring Sorghum’s Weed-Killing Power to Rice, U.S. Department of Agriculture)

This sunspot will rotate out of our view over the right side of the sun by April 20, 2016.

(Solar Dynamics Observatory Captures Images of a Mid-Level Solar Flare, NASA)

The radiation source in the machine rotates around the patient in a spiral pattern.

(Helical tomotherapy, NCI Dictionary)

A congenital abnormality in which the intestine is abnormally rotated (twisted).

(Intestinal Malrotation, NCI Thesaurus)

This means that Ceres' interior is weak enough that its shape is governed by how it rotates.

(What's Inside Ceres? New Findings from Gravity Data, NASA)

He sat in a rotating chair behind a broad table, which was covered with books, maps, and diagrams.

(The Lost World, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

The syringe is then removed and the needle is rotated to remove a sample of the bone and the bone marrow.

(Bone marrow aspiration and biopsy, NCI Dictionary)

Device consisting of hairs or bristles set into a handle or holder, especially one that conducts current between the rotating and stationary parts of a generator or motor.

(Brush Device Component, NCI Thesaurus)

Testing the static magnetic field gradients on medical imaging devices for their ability to rotate objects.

(Device Magnetically Induced Torque Testing Evaluation Method, Food and Drug Administration)