rotor
noun
Simple meaning
A rotating part of a mechanical device.
Pronunciation
Say it like this:
rohterSay the bold part a little louder.
IPA pronunciation (US)
ˈɹoʊtɚ
This word is pronounced essentially the same in American and British English, so one transcription covers both.
IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) is a standard way of writing speech sounds.
Definition
Everyday modern meanings first, grouped by part of speech.
noun
A rotating part of a mechanical device; for example, in an electric motor, generator, alternator, or pump.
Rotating mechanism consisting of an assembly of rotating airfoils
“There are horizontal rotors on a helicopter or compressor rotors in a jet engine.”
automotivecycling
In a disc brake, the metal disc attached to the wheel hub.
aviation
The wing of a helicopter or other rotary-wing aircraft.
Word at a Glance
- Difficulty
- B2 · Upper Intermediate (estimated)
- Frequency
- Moderately Common
- Formality
- Technical
Word Aura™
How this word commonly comes across.
Aura for this meaning
This meaning: A rotating part of a mechanical device; for example, in an electric motor, generator, alternator, or pump.
Used this way, rotor is a specialist word that usually carries little praise or criticism of its own. This is an engineering use: it is a working term used for accuracy on the job.
- Emotional tone
- Neutral
- Formality
- Specialist/technical
- Intensity
- Not strongly marked
- How common
- Specialized
- Connotation
- Clinical and technical
- Usage feel
- Technical and specialized
Where it naturally appears
- Technical/specialist writing
- Science
Usage note
In general conversation this sense usually needs explaining — outside its field, people reach for a plainer word.
Word Aura describes common impressions, not a measurement. Tone changes with sentence, speaker, relationship and situation.
More ways to use rotor
- “There are horizontal rotors on a helicopter or compressor rotors in a jet engine.”noun
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Common Patterns and Combinations
How this word naturally appears with others.
Word Family
Related forms, grouped by how they connect.
Compound terms
Established multiword terms.
The long airfoil that rotates to provide the lift that supports a helicopter in the air.
The rotating armature of a motor or generator.
The axis around which the major rotor of a helicopter turns.
The axis around which the major rotor of a helicopter turns.
Rotor consisting of large rotating airfoils on a single-rotor helicopter that produce the lift to support the helicopter in the air.
A helicopter having a single rotor.
More about this wordSynonyms, forms, origin
Antonyms
Sense: rotating part of a mechanical device
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Dictionary data from Wiktionary via the Free Dictionary API. Simple meanings, combinations and word intelligence are built from verified reference data, no AI is used to load this page.