rotate Meaning, Definition & Usage

verb turn on or around an axis or a center
revolve; go around.
- The Earth revolves around the Sun
- The lamb roast rotates on a spit over the fire
verb exchange on a regular basis
- We rotate the lead soprano every night
verb perform a job or duty on a rotating basis
- Interns have to rotate for a few months
verb cause to turn on an axis or center
circumvolve.
- Rotate the handle
verb turn outward
splay; turn out; spread out.
- These birds can splay out their toes
- ballet dancers can rotate their legs out by 90 degrees
verb plant or grow in a fixed cyclic order of succession
- We rotate the crops so as to maximize the use of the soil

L. rotatus, p.p. of rotare to turn round like a wheel, fr. rota wheel. See Rotary, and cf. Roue.

Having the parts spreading out like a wheel; wheel-shaped; as, a rotate spicule or scale; a rotate corolla, i.e., a monopetalous corolla with a flattish border, and no tube or a very short one.

imperfect & past participle Rotated ; present participle & verbal noun Rotating

To turn, as a wheel, round an axis; to revolve.
To perform any act, function, or operation in turn, to hold office in turn; as, to rotate in office.

To cause to turn round or revolve, as a wheel around an axle.
To cause to succeed in turn; esp., to cause to succeed some one, or to be succeeded by some one, in office. Colloq. "Both, after a brief service, were rotated out of office." Harper's Mag.