Other forms: rotations
Rotation is turning around a centre. The rotation of the earth, rotation speed, a slow rotation.
It is distinguished from revolution, which is orbiting something else — the earth rotates once a day and revolves once a year, though the two words are used loosely. The other main sense is taking turns: crop rotation, on rotation, a rotation of staff. Crop rotation is the ancient farming practice of changing what grows in a field each year to keep the soil working. Note rotate and rotary.
1nounrotationTurning around a centre.
“One rotation takes about twenty-four hours.”
2nounarrangementAn arrangement of taking turns.
“The nurses work nights on rotation, so nobody does too many in a row.”
rotation is a turning or taking of turns.
Latin rotatio comes from rota, a wheel — the same root as rotary, round and roulette. Rotation is named after the wheel rather than after any abstract idea of turning.
Latin
rotātiō
English, today
rotation
Borrowed from Latin rotātiō. Borrowed from Latin rotātiō. by surface analysis, rotate + -ion.
Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA