Synonyms/Hypernyms (Ordered by Estimated Frequency) of verb rotate

6 senses of rotate

Sense 1
revolve, go around, rotate -- (turn on or around an axis or a center; "The Earth revolves around the Sun"; "The lamb roast rotates on a spit over the fire")
       => turn -- (move around an axis or a center; "The wheels are turning")

Sense 2
rotate -- (exchange on a regular basis; "We rotate the lead soprano every night")
       => alternate -- (exchange people temporarily to fulfill certain jobs and functions)

Sense 3
rotate -- (perform a job or duty on a rotating basis; "Interns have to rotate for a few months")
       => serve -- (do duty or hold offices; serve in a specific function; "He served as head of the department for three years"; "She served in Congress for two terms")

Sense 4
rotate, circumvolve -- (cause to turn on an axis or center; "Rotate the handle")
       => turn -- (change orientation or direction, also in the abstract sense; "Turn towards me"; "The mugger turned and fled before I could see his face"; "She turned from herself and learned to listen to others' needs")

Sense 5
turn out, splay, spread out, rotate -- (turn outward; "These birds can splay out their toes"; "ballet dancers can rotate their legs out by 90 degrees")
       => turn -- (change orientation or direction, also in the abstract sense; "Turn towards me"; "The mugger turned and fled before I could see his face"; "She turned from herself and learned to listen to others' needs")

Sense 6
rotate -- (plant or grow in a fixed cyclic order of succession; "We rotate the crops so as to maximize the use of the soil")
       => grow -- (cause to grow or develop; "He grows vegetables in his backyard")