Meanings
- not comparableCapable of rotation.
A rotary engine revolves the heads rather than having pistons go back and forth.
1 more example
Volatiles of kecap manis and its raw materials were extracted using Likens-Nickerson apparatus with diethyl ether as the extraction solvent. The extracts were then dried with anhydrous sodium sulfate, concentrated using a rotary evaporator followed by flushing using nitrogen until the volume was about 0.5 ml.
1997, A. J. Taylor, D. S. Mothram, editors, Flavour Science: Recent Developments, Elsevier, →ISBN, page 63
plural rotaries
- Atlantic CanadaNew EnglandA roundabout, traffic circle.
- Any of the clubs making up the international Rotary International movement for community service.
Synonyms & antonyms
nouna road junction at which traffic streams circularly around a central island
nounelectrical converter consisting of a synchronous machine that converts alternating to direct current or vice versa
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Origin
- Latinrota“wheel”
- Medieval Latinrotarius
- Englishrotary
Attested mid 18th century, from Medieval Latin rotarius, from Latin rota (“wheel”).
More words from Medieval Latin, Latin
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Bulgarian въртящ се, ротационен
- въртящ се (vărtjašt se)capable of rotation
- ротационен (rotacionen)capable of rotation
Czech otáčivý, otočný
- otáčivýcapable of rotation
- otočnýcapable of rotation
- rotačnícapable of rotation
Finnish pyörivä, rotariklubi
- pyöriväcapable of rotation
- rotariklubiclub in Rotary movement
French rotatif
- rotatifcapable of rotation
German rotierbar, rotierend
- rotierbarcapable of rotation
- rotierendcapable of rotation
Romanian rotativ, rotatoriu
- rotativcapable of rotation
- rotatoriucapable of rotation
Spanish rotatorio, rotativo
- rotatoriocapable of rotation
- rotativocapable of rotation
- giratoriocapable of rotation
- girantecapable of rotation
- rotadorcapable of rotation
Rhymes & wordplay
Anagrams
Cite this entry
rotary. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/rotary
“rotary.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/rotary. Accessed November 3, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “rotary,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/rotary.
Source: rotary on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.