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rotate

Syllabification: (ro·tate)
Pronunciation: /ˈrōˌtāt/

Translate rotate | into French | into German | into Italian | into Spanish
Definition of rotate

verb

  • move or cause to move in a circle around an axis or center: [no object]:the wheel continued to rotate (as adjective rotating)a rotating drum [with object]:the small directional side rockets rotated the craft
  • [no object] pass to each member of a group in a regularly recurring order:the job of chairing the meeting rotates
  • [with object] grow (different crops) in succession on a particular piece of land to avoid exhausting the soil and to control weeds, pests, and diseases:these crops were sometimes rotated with grass
  • [with object] change the position of (tires) on a motor vehicle to distribute wear evenly.

Derivatives

rotatable

Pronunciation: /ˈrōˌtātəbəl, rōˈtāt-/

adjective

rotative

Pronunciation: /ˈrōˌtātiv/

adjective

rotatory

Pronunciation: /ˈrōtəˌtôrē/

adjective

Origin:

late 17th century: from Latin rotat- 'turned in a circle', from the verb rotare, from rota 'wheel'

rotate in other Oxford dictionaries

Definition of rotate in the British & World English dictionary

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