SINCE 1828

An Encyclopædia Britannica Company

autorotation

noun au·to·ro·ta·tion \ -rō-ˈtā-shən \

Definition of autorotation

: the turning of the rotor of an autogiro or a helicopter with the resulting lift caused solely by the aerodynamic forces induced by motion of the rotor along its flight path

—

autorotate

play \-ˈrō-ˌtāt\ intransitive verb

Recent Examples of autorotation from the Web

According to People, an autorotation is when an aircraft flies purely through air moving up its rotors.

— megan friedman, Country Living, "An Official Report Details What Went Wrong in Troy Gentry's Fatal Helicopter Crash," 14 Sep. 2017
The company also should not have let an inexperienced instructor perform an autorotation on Kristian Blackwell's first night flight, the lawsuit said.

— samantha matsumoto, OregonLive.com, "Wife of man killed in helicopter crash sues flight school," 25 May 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'autorotation.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

First Known Use of autorotation

1926

Seen and Heard

What made you want to look up autorotation? Please tell us where you read or heard it (including the quote, if possible).

show

WORD OF THE DAY

traduce

play

to lower or disgrace the reputation of

BROWSE DICTIONARY

auto-rifle

auto roller

autorotation

autoroute

autosampler

Test Your Vocabulary

Odd Habits and Quirks Quiz

Which of the following best describes an easily irritated person?

How Strong Is Your Vocabulary?

Test your vocabulary with our 10-question quiz!

TAKE THE QUIZ

SCRABBLE® Sprint

Test Your Knowledge - and learn some interesting things along the way.

TAKE THE QUIZ

Words at Play

Words from Letters in the Greek Alphabet

When English borrows from another alphabet

alt-5ada140ed3e28

'Preventive' or 'Preventative'?

alt-5ad8fc71357ed

Words We're Watching: 'Bluebeard,' the Verb

No, it's not a coiffure trend

alt-5ad8d3361fb97

Where 'Cliff-hangers' Come From

You're on the edge of your seat

Ask the Editors

2017 Word of the Year: Behind the Scenes

How we chose 'feminism'

video-title-words-of-the-year-1066

Words of the Year: 1066

Or, Why Pig Meat is Called 'Pork' and Cow Meat is Called 'Beef'

video-literally

Literally

How to use a word that (literally) drives some people nuts.

video-his-or-her

Is Singular 'They' a Better Choice?

The awkward case of 'his or her'

Word Games

Odd Habits and Quirks Quiz

Test your knowledge of strange human behaviors.

Take the quiz

cats-on-impossible-timber

More Confusing Words—Quiz

How many of these commonly confused words do you know?

Take the quiz

How Strong Is Your Vocabulary?

How Strong Is Your Vocabulary?

Test your vocabulary with our 10-question quiz!

Take the quiz

SCRABBLE® Sprint

SCRABBLE® Sprint

SCRABBLE® fans, sharpen your skills!

Play the game