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

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autorotate

play \-ˈrō-ˌtāt\ intransitive verb

Recent Examples of autorotation from the Web

The altitude record for a rotorcraft stands at just over 40,000 feet, and during that flight the engine flamed out and the pilot had to land using autorotation.

— jay bennett, Popular Mechanics, "How to Fly a Helicopter on Mars," 15 May 2018
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.