rotor

Etymology

From an irregular shortening of rotator. Doublet of rota and ruote.

noun

1. A rotating part of a mechanical device; for example, in an electric motor, generator, alternator, or pump.
   Turbines have been around for a long time—windmills and water wheels are early examples. The name comes from the Latin turbo, meaning vortex, and thus the defining property of a turbine is that a fluid or gas turns the blades of a rotor, which is attached to a shaft that can perform useful work. 2013 July-August, Lee S. Langston, “The Adaptable Gas Turbine”, in American Scientist
2. (aviation) The wing of a helicopter or other rotary-wing aircraft.
3. (meteorology) A type of powerful horizontal-axis atmospheric vortex generated by the interaction of strong winds with mountainous terrain.
   A glider instructor, who had been in the COS area for more than 25 years, was interviewed. He stated that around 1200 on the day of the accident, he observed a rotor hit the ground with estimated wind speeds of 70 to 80 miles per hour. 2001, National Transportation Safety Board, “1.7.1 Observations and Forecasts”, in Uncontrolled Descent and Collision With Terrain, United Airlines Flight 585, Boeing 737-200, N999UA, 4 Miles South of Colorado Springs Municipal Airport, Colorado Springs, Colorado, March 3, 1991, archived from the original on 2021-01-22, pages 30–31
4. A quantity having magnitude, direction, and position.