rotate
- 01 B1 Intermediate
v.to turn or spin around a central point.
v.to turn or cause to turn around an axis or center point.
Simple“The earth rotates once every twenty-four hours.”
In context“The mechanic demonstrated how the cooling fan rotates at high speeds to prevent the engine from overheating during long journeys.”
UsageCan be used with or without a direct object.
- 02 B2 Upper Intermediate
v.to change people or things in a regular order so that everyone or everything has a turn.
v.to move or pass through a cycle of changes; to perform a task in a recurring sequence.
Simple“The teachers rotate the duty of watching the playground during lunch.”
In context“The hospital staff rotate shifts every month to ensure that no single team is permanently assigned to the grueling overnight hours.”
UsageOften used with a direct object like 'shifts', 'crops', or 'roles'.
- 03 C1 Advanced
v.to move older items to the front of a shelf so they are used before newer ones.
v.to manage inventory by moving older materials to the point of use before newer stock.
Simple“Supermarket workers rotate the milk cartons so the oldest ones sell first.”
In context“Effective inventory management requires staff to rotate stock diligently, minimizing waste by ensuring products reach the consumer before their expiration dates.”
Synonymscyclereorder - 04 C2 Proficiency
v.to pull the nose of an airplane up just before it leaves the ground.
v.to transition an aircraft from a ground roll to a climbing attitude by increasing the pitch.
Simple“The pilot began to rotate as the plane reached the necessary speed.”
In context“Upon reaching the calculated takeoff safety speed, the captain began to rotate the aircraft, smoothly lifting the nose wheel off the tarmac.”
Synonymspitch up - 05 C2 Proficiency
adj.having a shape like a wheel with parts spreading out from the center.
adj.having a wheel-like shape; specifically used in botany to describe a flat, circular corolla.
Simple“The flower has a rotate shape with petals spreading out like spokes.”
In context“The botanist identified the specimen by its rotate corolla, noting the way the petals radiated symmetrically from the central axis.”
“The Ram Air Turbine (RAT) is a small propeller which can rotate in the airstream to provide electricity and hydraulic pressure when other systems in the plane fail.”
“But the seat is low relative to the pedals, and it’s so wide that there’s no way to rotate your legs without your thighs slamming into it.”
Borrowed from Latin rotātus, perfect passive participle of rotō (“revolve”) (see -ate (verb-forming suffix) and -ate (adjective-forming suffix)), from rota (“wheel”) + -ō (verb-forming suffix).
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.