rotation

The word “rotation” means the action or process of turning around a centre or axis. In plain terms, the act of turning around an axis, or a scheduled cycle of turns.

“Rotation” is pronounced roh-TAY-shuhn (/ɹoʊˈteɪʃən/ in IPA).

Here is “rotation” used in a sentence: “The wheel's rotation slowed as the brake was applied.”

Words with a similar meaning to “rotation” include turning, revolution, rota, roster, duty roster and schedule.

“Rotation” is a noun.

The word “rotation” comes from Latin. From Latin rotatio, built on rotare, "to revolve.".

“Rotation” is a fairly common word in modern English.

“Rotation” has 3 distinct senses listed in this dictionary. The most common is: the action or process of turning around a centre or axis.

In science, rotation is the turning of a body around its own centre or axis, while revolution is the movement of one body around another. The Earth's rotation on its axis produces day and night, and its revolution around the Sun takes a year. In everyday English, however, revolution can also simply mean one complete turn, which is why the words are sometimes used interchangeably.

Crop rotation is the practice of growing different crops on the same land across seasons rather than repeating the same one. Farmers use it to keep soil productive and to break the cycles of pests and diseases that build up when a single crop is grown continuously.

A rota, chiefly British, is the list or roster that sets out whose turn it is to do a task. Rotation is the process itself — the regular pattern of taking turns or changing over — so staff listed on a rota work in rotation.