rotation
- 01 B2 Upper Intermediate
the movement of something turning around a central point or line.
the act or process of turning around a central point or fixed axis.
Simple“The earth's rotation on its axis is what gives us day and night.”
In context“The turbine's speed of rotation must be carefully monitored to prevent mechanical failure under high-pressure conditions.”
UsageOften used with the preposition 'of' or 'on'.
- 02 B2 Upper Intermediate
a system where people or things follow each other in a regular order.
a regular, recurring sequence of events, tasks, or personnel assignments.
Simple“The doctors at the clinic work on a weekly rotation.”
In context“The head chef implemented a strict rotation for the kitchen staff to ensure that everyone gained experience at every station.”
UsageCommonly used in the phrase 'in rotation' or 'on a rotation'.
- 03 C1 Advanced
how often a song or advertisement is played on the radio or TV.
the repeated broadcasting of a specific recording or advertisement within a scheduled period.
Simple“The band's new single is in heavy rotation on all the major radio stations.”
In context“The marketing agency negotiated for the commercial to remain in high rotation during prime-time viewing hours for the duration of the campaign.”
Synonyms - 04 C1 Advanced
the moment during takeoff when the pilot lifts the nose of the plane off the ground.
the specific action during the takeoff roll where the pilot applies back-pressure to the controls to lift the nose wheel.
Simple“The pilot reached rotation speed and gently pulled back on the stick.”
In context“If rotation is attempted before the calculated V-speed is reached, the aircraft may stall or suffer a tail strike on the runway.”
- 05 C1 Advanced
moving money from one type of investment to another as the economy changes.
the movement of investment capital from one industry sector or asset class to another in response to economic cycles.
Simple“Investors are starting a rotation out of tech stocks and into energy.”
In context“Market analysts observed a significant sector rotation as institutional investors moved toward defensive stocks in anticipation of a recession.”
Synonymsreallocation
“The bias toward clockwise rotation, Shamir proposes, could indicate that our universe resides in a spinning black hole that has preferentially passed on its rotation to many of the galaxies inside it.”
“According to Yamada, the guards gave the Japanese only bread and water for several days, eventually adding jam and butter back into the rotation.”
Borrowed from Latin rotatiō. By surface analysis, rotate + -ion.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.