Main Entry:

²ro·tate

Pronunciation:

\ˈrō-ˌtāt, especially British rō-ˈ\

Function:

verb

Inflected Form(s):

ro·tat·ed; ro·tat·ing

Etymology:

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

Date:

1785

intransitive verb1 a: to perform an act, function, or operation in turn b: to pass or alternate in a series2: 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 axistransitive verb1 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 : alternate4: to exchange (individuals or units) with others

— ro·tat·able \ˈrō-ˌtā-tə-bəl also rō-ˈ\ adjective