1
a
: a part that revolves in a stationary part
a brake rotor
b
: the rotating member of an electrical machine
2
: an assembly of rotating blades that supplies lift or stability for a rotorcraft
Examples of rotor in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
My mind keeps tripping over that, spinning faster than the helicopter rotors above our heads.
—
Carly Tagen-Dye, People.com, 8 Aug. 2025
The commander said newer Russian drone teams, known as the Rubicon unit, are well-trained and professional, sometimes using only a thread, dangled by another drone flying on top of a Ukrainian device, to entangle in its rotors and cause the Ukrainian drone to crash.
—Nick Paton Walsh, CNN Money, 29 July 2025
The rotor is plated with a 1.5-micron-thick layer of 5N rose gold.
—Bhanu Chopra, Forbes.com, 29 July 2025
The answer is that the rotors allow for more efficient vertical takeoff and landing as well as flying at low speeds and hovering with less downwash than a conventional helicopter.
—New Atlas, 13 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for rotor
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Carly Tagen-Dye, People.com, 8 Aug. 2025
The commander said newer Russian drone teams, known as the Rubicon unit, are well-trained and professional, sometimes using only a thread, dangled by another drone flying on top of a Ukrainian device, to entangle in its rotors and cause the Ukrainian drone to crash.
—Nick Paton Walsh, CNN Money, 29 July 2025
The rotor is plated with a 1.5-micron-thick layer of 5N rose gold.
—Bhanu Chopra, Forbes.com, 29 July 2025
The answer is that the rotors allow for more efficient vertical takeoff and landing as well as flying at low speeds and hovering with less downwash than a conventional helicopter.
—New Atlas, 13 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for rotor
Cite this Entry
“Rotor.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/rotor. Accessed 22 Aug. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
rotor
noun
ro·tor
ˈrōt-ər 
1
: a part that rotates in a stationary part (as in an electrical machine)
2
: a complete system of rotating blades that support a helicopter in flight
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