rotate

adjective ro·tate \ ˈrō-ˌtāt \

|Updated on: 19 Aug 2018

Definition of rotate

: having the parts flat and spreading or radiating like the spokes of a wheel

rotate blue flowers

Recent Examples of rotate from the Web

Rotate pie plate about 15° (if the top of the pie is the 12 o’clock mark, turn it to 2 o’clock).

— rick martinez, Bon Appetit, "BA's Best Blueberry Pie," 10 July 2017
Rotate steaks 45 degrees and cook another 2 minutes.

— milwaukee, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, "Grilled Kansas City Strip Steaks," 3 July 2017

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

Origin and Etymology of rotate

Latin rota

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 1760

in the meaning defined above

See Words from the same year

Other Botany Terms

annual, burgeon, chloroplast, nomenclature, succulent, sylvan, xylem

rotate

verb ro·tate \ ˈrō-ˌtāt , especially British rō-ˈtāt \

Definition of rotate

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

play \ˈrō-ˌtā-tə-bəl also rō-ˈtā-\ adjective

See rotate defined for English-language learners

See rotate defined for kids

Examples of rotate in a Sentence

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 of rotate from the Web

John, the oldest, and his brother Chuck were sent to a state home and later rotated through numerous foster homes, while Mike, the youngest, lived with relatives.

— anne m. hamilton, courant.com, "He Brought His Skill For Teaching, Knack For Colonial Buildings To Coventry," 15 July 2018
Madrigal also plans to consistently craft new dishes and rotate them out on the menu.

— kellie hwang, azcentral, "Former longtime Z'Tejas chef finally opens his own Mexican restaurant in Phoenix," 12 July 2018
Typically games are played every 10 minutes and rotating.

— karen pilarski, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, "Wisconsin's first WhirlyBall entertainment center, restaurant could be coming soon to Brookfield Square," 11 July 2018
To this, set designer David Rockwell adds a scrim and several moving, rotating panels.

— daryl h. miller, latimes.com, "Review: 'On Your Feet!,' the Gloria and Emilio Estefan story, sets rhythms in irresistible motion," 11 July 2018
Tap handles will constantly rotate at Burning Barrel, said Alexander Duncan, who co-owns the brewery with his dad Jack Alexander.

— cassie dickman, sacbee, "Burning Barrel Brewing Company will open July 19 in Rancho Cordova," 7 July 2018
Investigators said the woman's teeth were winged or were slightly rotated on the top and bottom of her mouth.

— jose r. gonzalez, Houston Chronicle, "Louisiana authorities release facial reconstruction of severed head with similarities to HPD case," 27 June 2018
Slowly elevate your right arm and rotate it up toward the sky, opening your chest.

— Philly.com, "4 mobility exercises to start every workout," 19 June 2018
Like Lumines before it, every single action in The Tetris Effect—moving, rotating, dropping a piece—adds a note to the game's wonderful, ethereal, trance-inducing soundscapes.

— kyle orland, sam machkovech, Ars Technica, "The top ten games from E3 2018," 19 June 2018

Origin and Etymology of rotate

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

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 1757

in the meaning defined at intransitive sense 1a

See Words from the same year

rotate Synonyms

Synonyms

gyrate, pinwheel, pirouette, revolve, roll, spin, turn, twirl, wheel, whirl;

circle, circulate, encircle, orbit, ring;

pivot, swivel;

ROTATE Defined for English Language Learners

rotate

verb

Definition of rotate for English Language Learners

: to move or turn in a circle
: to regularly change the person who does a particular job so that all the members of a group do it at different times
: to regularly change the place or position of things or people so that each takes the place of another