Definitions

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.

  • noun A rotating part of an electrical or mechanical device.
  • noun An assembly of rotating horizontal airfoils, as that of a helicopter.

from The Century Dictionary.

  • noun A quantity having magnitude, direction, and position.
  • noun In electricity, the revolving element of an electric machine.
  • noun The revolving part of a steam-turbine. It consists of the shaft and the disks carrying the buckets on which the steam pressure acts.

from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.

  • noun (Elec.) The rotating part of a generator or motor. Contrasted with stator, the stationary part.

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

  • noun A rotating part of a mechanical device, for example in an electric motor, generator, alternator or pump.
  • noun The wing of a helicopter or similar aircraft

from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.

  • noun rotating mechanism consisting of an assembly of rotating airfoils
  • noun the revolving bar of a distributor
  • noun the rotating armature of a motor or generator

Etymologies

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 4th Edition

[Contraction of rotator.]

Support

Help support Wordnik (and make this page ad-free) by adopting the word rotor.

Examples

  • When the rotor is straight, the brakes will work better and your quad may even be slightly faster, as rolling resistance will be eliminated.

    Tip of the Day: Brake Fix Cassandra 2009

  • I crashed it dozens of times, the last of which caused the main rotor to snap beyond repair.

    Attack co-workers with your own chopper! | Sync Blog 2007

  • Although an efficiently simple design, the tiny size of the motor (e.g., each rotor is 20 micrometers in diameter) required special fabrication techniques.

    Incredible Motor Powered By Living Bacteria | Impact Lab 2006

  • This blew a semicircle out of the main rotor spar, but the blade held together long enough for them to finish putting in the medics and Rangers at the first crashsite.

    Michael J. Durant 1993

  • As they headed to the airfield all 7 gallons of oil from the main rotor gearbox, and all 7 quarts from each engine was pouring out.

    Michael J. Durant 1993

  • They were about 1500 feet above the ground when the explosion occurred, separating the tail boom and one main rotor blade from the aircraft.

    McKain, Bobby L. 1990

  • They were about 1500 feet above the ground when the explosion occurred, separating the tail boom and one main rotor blade from the aircraft.

    Chaney, Arthur F. 1990

  • He stated that he saw the main rotor blade come off as the helicopter tried to extract the rest of the team.

    Johnson, Gary L. 1971

  • He stated that he saw the main rotor blade come off as the helicopter tried to extract the rest of the team.

    Hull, James L. 1971

  • He stated that he saw the main rotor blade come off as the helicopter tried to extract the rest of the team.

    Watson, Ronald L. 1971

Comments

Log in or sign up to get involved in the conversation. It's quick and easy.