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pe) In the direction from which stars are apparently moving (in consequence of the erth's rotation); as, a small star, north following or south following. In the direction toward which stars appear to move is called preceding.

itous selection; hazard. [R.] No mode of election operating in the spirit of fortition or rotation can be generally good. Burke.

ed to a curve that slips continuously on another fixed curve, the movable curve having no rotation at any instant.

or whirling, as around a fixed center; a circular or spiral motion; motion about an axis; rotation; revolution. The gyrations of an ascending balloon. De Quincey. If a burning coal be nimbly moved round in a circle, with gyrations continually repeated, the whole circle will appear like fire. Sir I. Newton.…

in a ring or rings, for illustrating the dynamics of rotating bodies, the composition of rotations, etc. It was devised by Professor W. R. Johnson, in 1832, by whom it was called the rotascope.

g a given instant; as, instantaneous acceleration, velocity, etc. Instantaneous center of rotation (Kinematics), in a plane or in a plane figure which has motions both of translation and of rotation in the plane, is the point which for the instant is at rest. -- Instantaneous axis of rotation (Kinematics), in a body w…

to use for catch crops at seasons when the ground is not covered by crops of the regular rotation.

To make, or tend to make (the motion of a moving body), uniform in rate of rotation, or in frequency of vibration.

nstructed to advance away from the observer, when turned, as in a nut, with a left-handed rotation. An ordinary wood screw is right-handed.

Minster house, the official house in which the canons of a cathedral live in common or in rotation. Shipley.

s of each particle of matter of the body into the square of its distance from the axis of rotation; -- called also moment of rotation and moment of the mass. -- Statical moment, the product of a force into its leverage; the same as moment of a force with respect to a point, line, etc. -- Virtual moment. See under Vir…

phases of a scene, are printed on paper and mounted around the periphery of a wheel. The rotation of the wheel brings them rapidly into sight, one after another, and the blended effect gives a semblance of motion.

instrument or machine for measuring work done, especially for ascertaining the number of rotations made by a machine or wheel in manufacturing cloth; a counter. Ure.

The tendency of a revolving body, when suspended in a certain way, to bring the axis of rotation into parallelism with the earth's axis.

The solid generated by the rotation of a parabola about its axis; any surface of the second order whose sections by planes parallel to a given line are parabolas.

pile. See under Pneumatic. -- Screw pile, one with a screw at the lower end, and sunk by rotation aided by pressure.

ntity (Alg.), an affirmative quantity, or one affected by the sign plus [+]. -- Positive rotation (Mech.), left-handed rotation. -- Positive sign (Math.), the sign [+] denoting plus, or more, or addition.

ts, upon the protuberant matter about the earth's equator, in connection with its diurnal rotation; -- so called because either equinox, owing to its westerly motion, comes to the meridian sooner each day than the point it would have occupied without the motion of precession, and thus precedes that point continually wi…

ne side equal to a quadrant or arc of 90º. -- Quadrantal versor, a versor that expresses rotation through one right angle.

either direction at will. -- Reversing gear (Mach.), gear for reversing the direction of rotation at will.