You might argue that a revolver ought to be a rotator but it depends whether you are thinking of the cartridges or the cylinder that holds them. A revolving door actually rotates, as does a revolving chair a rotating shaft makes revolutions. Do not insist on this careful distinction during the later stages of a dinner party or the lazy Susan may become a spinning projectile aimed at you.Īs I say, the rule is rarely observed outside science and the two words have been hopelessly muddled for centuries. However, because the plates on it orbit or circle around a point outside themselves, they revolve. The strict answer to the question, therefore, is that the lazy Susan rotates. Following this definition, a wheel can only rotate (hooray for etymology). If the body turns on an axis within itself it rotates but if the axis is elsewhere it revolves. We have listed all the similar and related words for revolve alphabetically. The rule about which verb to use is based on the position of the axis of rotation. Our thesaurus contains synonyms of revolve in 12 different contexts. revolve - WordReference thesaurus: synonyms, discussion and more. For them, the earth rotates every 24 hours but takes a year to revolve around the sun. Strictly speaking, there is a difference, which is most noticeable in the terminology of astronomers. But you might argue that it revolves, because that verb is from the Latin volvere, to roll (in this case, the re- prefix implies repetition of the action) and a wheeled vehicle certainly does roll along. If you’re arguing from etymology (always risky), it can only rotate, since that term is from the Latin verb rotare, to turn in a circle, whose root is rota, a wheel. To take an example, does a wheel rotate or revolve? Most people would say it can do either. rotate spin twirl whirl swivel turn pivot wheel swirl gyrate twist roll pirouette pinwheel swing gyre circle spiral reel circulate. Most people’s response to this would probably be on the lines of “who cares?” The two words are used so interchangeably in the sense of spinning round that for most purposes they’re synonyms and they’re treated as such in thesauruses. If anybody’s not sure about a lazy Susan, by the way, it’s a device on a table which turns to give easy access to plates and condiments, though the term has been extended to similar devices fitted in cupboards. The question arose, does a lazy Susan revolve or rotate? What about the plates on it?Ī That’s an interesting question, which lacks a simple answer. Q From Brian Miller, Australia: A loosely organised group of eccentric friends and wine lovers meets each week.
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