rotate

1 of 2

adjective

ro·​tate ˈrō-ˌtāt How to pronounce rotate (audio)
: having the parts flat and spreading or radiating like the spokes of a wheel
rotate blue flowers

rotate

2 of 2

verb

ro·​tate ˈrō-ˌtāt How to pronounce rotate (audio)
 especially British  rō-ˈtāt
rotated; rotating

intransitive verb

1
a
: to perform an act, function, or operation in turn
b
: to pass or alternate in a series
2
: to turn about an axis or a center : revolve
especially : to move in such a way that all particles follow circles with a common angular velocity about a common axis

transitive verb

1
a
: to cause to turn or move about an axis or a center
b
: to cause (a plane region or line) to sweep out a volume or surface by moving around an axis so that each of its points remains at a constant distance from the axis
generate a torus by rotating a circle about an external line
2
: to cause to grow in rotation
rotate crops
3
: to cause to pass or act in a series : alternate
4
: to exchange (individuals or units) with others
rotatable
ˈrō-ˌtā-tə-bəl How to pronounce rotate (audio)
 also  rō-ˈtā-
adjective

Examples of rotate in a Sentence

Verb As the gear rotates, it turns the other gears. The Earth rotates on its axis. The planets rotate around the sun. The software allows you to rotate images. Rotate the sheet of paper 90 degrees. The staff rotates the weekend shift. We rotate—she does the dishes one week; I do them the next. You should rotate your car's tires once a year.
Recent Examples on the Web
Verb
But the quarterbacks subsequently rotated in at different times. Barry Jackson, Miami Herald, 4 Mar. 2024 Natascha Augustin, who was named managing director of Warner Chappell Music Germany in January, started at the company as a half-time intern, rotating among various departments. Robert Levine, Billboard, 4 Mar. 2024 Monitoring these spots on the sun demonstrated that the sun in fact rotated. Maeghan Dolph, Fox News, 3 Mar. 2024 As its done all season, Salesian constantly rotated quality players in and out to keep players fresh. Joseph Dycus, The Mercury News, 3 Mar. 2024 Few of the performers remained in the group beyond the age of 16, instead being rotated out for younger talent. Natalie Morales, CBS News, 2 Mar. 2024 Observations from the past 50 years all point to one trend: that more active stars tend to rotate faster. Popular Science, 29 Feb. 2024 The restaurant also offers a rotating selection of ice creams from Cream of the Crop. The Arizona Republic, 26 Feb. 2024 Many homes have a host of tea towels lying around: one by the kitchen sink, another hanging in the powder room, and five more tucked away in a drawer, ready to rotate when the others need washing. Betsy Cribb Watson, Southern Living, 26 Feb. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'rotate.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Adjective

Latin rota

Verb

Latin rotatus, past participle of rotare, from rota wheel — more at roll

First Known Use

Adjective

1760, in the meaning defined above

Verb

1757, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense 1a

Time Traveler
The first known use of rotate was in 1757

Dictionary Entries Near rotate

Cite this Entry

“Rotate.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/rotate. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

rotate

verb
ro·​tate
ˈrō-ˌtāt
rotated; rotating
1
: to turn or cause to turn about an axis or a center
the earth rotates
2
a
: to do or cause to do something in turn
b
: to pass in a series
the seasons rotate
3
: to cause to grow one after the other on the same land
rotate alfalfa and corn
rotatable
-ˌtāt-ə-bəl
adjective
rotator
-ˌtāt-ər
noun

Medical Definition

rotate

verb
ro·​tate
ˈrō-ˌtāt, especially British rō-ˈ
rotated; rotating

intransitive verb

: to turn about an axis or a center

transitive verb

: to cause to turn about an axis or a center
rotate the head

More from Merriam-Webster on rotate

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