rotation
/rə(ʊ)ˈteɪʃ(ə)n
/noun [mass noun]
1The action of rotating about an axis or centre: the moon moves in the same direction as the earth’s rotation [count noun]: several solar rotations...
- With the motion and rotation of Earth, the coordinates dance all around in a strange mess that is extremely difficult to untangle.
- The earth moves around the sun in an orbit that is nearly a circle, and the axis of rotation of the earth maintains an effectively fixed direction.
- Its chambers and tunnel will allow visitors to perceive the earth's rotation and its changing alignments with the stars.
Synonyms
revolving, turning, spinning, gyration, wheeling, whirling, twirling, swivelling, circling
turn, revolution, spin, whirl, orbit
1.1 Mathematics The conceptual operation of turning a system about an axis.
1.2 Mathematics another term for curl (sense 3 of the noun).
2The passing of a privilege or responsibility to each member of a group in a regularly recurring order: it has become common for senior academics to act as heads of department in rotation...
- Gurkha battalions have been stationed there in rotation for the past twenty-five years.
- Their substantial independence threatened republican tradition with its corporate government and brief periods of high office for individuals in rotation.
- There are occasions where there are two Bards sharing the telling in rotation, enabling an even more embellished tale to be told.
Synonyms
sequence, succession;
alternation, cycle
2.1 (also crop rotation) The growing of different crops in succession on a piece of land to avoid exhausting the soil and to control weeds, pests, and diseases: traditional practices such as crop rotation...
- He uses cow manure, green manure and crop rotation to ensure nutrient-rich soil for his rapeseed crop.
- It appears that factors of fall moisture, winter exposure, leaf diseases, and early summer heat are larger than crop rotation and or tillage method.
- Disease-resistant varieties, crop rotation, and tillage are especially important in management of wheat diseases.
2.2 Forestry The cycle of growth and felling or cutting of trees: short rotation forestry [count noun]: a rotation of 60-80 years to provide valuable saw timber...
- If the forest has a non-timber value, for instance, in terms of its recreation value or its value as a wildlife habitat, then this changes the socially optimal forest rotation.
- Initial growth rates can be improved for higher assurance of success and shorter rotations.
- The region also plays host to a large number of birches to add variety, a component that forest management plans aim to maintain past the current rotation.
2.3 [count noun] US A tour of duty, especially by a medical practitioner in training: she was completing a rotation in trauma surgery...
- They focus on core programs in analytics, and then have a very experiential period - similar to the clinical rotations used in other professions.
- Kate told Stephen how she got on the accelerated Medicine program at Boston University and that all of her rotations would transfer over to UIC except the ER.
- Classroom training is then combined with hands-on experience that includes a general rotation in every department of the company.
Origin
Mid 16th century: from Latin rotatio(n-), from the verb rotare (see rotate).
The Latin rota ‘wheel’ and the verb from it rotare ‘to turn’ is the source of rotation and related words. These include rotund (late 15th century) for something well rounded, and rotunda (early 17th century) for a round building or room. It is an alteration of Italian rotonda (camera) ‘round (chamber)’. Round (Middle English) comes from the same source via French. The worldwide charitable society of business people formed in 1905 known as Rotary International owes its name to the fact that its members hosted events in rotation.