Part 409

Ro"tate (?), v. i. [imp. & p. p. Rotated (?); p. pr. & vb. n. Rotating.] 1. To turn, as a wheel, round an axis; to revolve.

2. To perform any act, function, or operation in turn, to hold office in turn; as, to rotate in office.

Ro"tate, v. i. 1. To cause to turn round or revolve, as a wheel around an axle.

2. 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.

Ro"ta*ted (?), a. Turned round, as a wheel; also, wheel-shaped; rotate.

Ro*ta"tion (?), n. [L. rotatio: cf. F. rotation.] 1. The act of turning, as a wheel or a solid body on its axis, as distinguished from the progressive motion of a revolving round another body or a distant point; thus, the daily turning of the earth on its axis is a rotation; its annual motion round the sun is a revolution.

2. Any return or succesion in a series.

Moment of rotation. See Moment of inertia, under Moment. -- Rotation in office, the practice of changing public officers at frequent intervals by discharges and substitutions. -- Rotation of crops, the practices of cultivating an orderly succession of different crops on the same land.

Ro*ta"tion (?), a. Pertaining to, or resulting from, rotation; of the nature of, or characterized by, rotation; as, rotational velocity.

Ro"ta*tive (?), a. [Cf. F. rotatif.] turning, as a wheel; rotary; rotational.

This high rotative velocity of the sun must cause an equatorial rise of the solar atmosphere.

Siemens.

Rotative engine, a steam engine in which the reciprocating motion of the piston is transformed into a continuous rotary motion, as by means of a connecting rod, a working beam and crank, or an oscillating cylinder.

Ro*ta"tor (?), n. [L.] 1. (Anat.) that which gives a rotary or rolling motion, as a muscle which partially rotates or turns some part on its axis.

2. (Metal.) A revolving reverberatory furnace.

||Ro`ta*to"ri*a (?), n. pl. [NL.] (Zoöl.) Same as Rotifera.

Ro"ta*to*ry (?), a. [Cf. F. rotatoire. See Rotate, Rotary.] 1. Turning as on an axis; rotary.

2. Going in a circle; following in rotation or succession; as, rotatory assembles. Burke.

3. (Opt.) Producing rotation of the plane of polarization; as, the rotatory power of bodies on light. See the Note under polarization. Nichol.

Ro"ta*to*ry, n. (Zoöl.) A rotifer. [R.] Kirby.

Rotche (?), n. (Zoöl.) A very small arctic sea bird (Mergulus alle, or Alle alle) common on both coasts of the Atlantic in winter; -- called also little auk, dovekie, rotch, rotchie, and sea dove.

Rotch"et (?), n. (Zoöl.) The European red gurnard (Trigla pini).

Rote (?), n. A root. [Obs.] Chaucer.

Rote (?), n. [OE. rote, probably of German origin; cf. MHG. rotte, OHG. rota, hrota, LL. chrotta. Cf. Crowd a kind of violin.] (Mus.) A kind of guitar, the notes of which were produced by a small wheel or wheel-like arrangement; an instrument similar to the hurdy-gurdy.

Well could he sing and play on a rote.

Chaucer.

extracting mistuned dirges from their harps, crowds, and rotes.

Sir W. Scott.