rotate

rotate on (something)

1. To turn on or spin around a particular axis or central point. The damage from the accident resulted in the wheels no longer rotating on the front axle properly.
2. To cause something to turn on or spin around a particular axis or central point. In this usage, a noun or pronoun is used between "rotate" and "on." If you rotate the ball on the tip of your finger quickly enough, the centripetal force will keep it balanced in place.
See also: on, rotate
Farlex Dictionary of Idioms.

rotate on something

to spin on something; to pivot on something. This wheel rotates on this little red jewel on the main frame of the watch. The record rotates on this device, which is called a turntable.
See also: on, rotate
McGraw-Hill Dictionary of American Idioms and Phrasal Verbs.
See also:
  • rotate on
  • rotate on (something)
  • turning
  • roll off
  • on wheels
  • roll down
  • spin up
  • roll to
  • roll to (someone or something)
  • roll off of (someone or something)
References in periodicals archive
Put it on a small piece of paper or cardboard so it can rotate freely.
Create a Pinch Pot/Pinch a Story
The "Wide Trapper" (WT5) rotates back to become the new goalie of the defense.
The full court zone press and its multiple stunts: part III, the 2-1-2 press
A more sophisticated means of performing the traditional "target in" and "target out" comparisons to remove background signals is achieved with two target positions separated by a coil that rotates the spin ideally [pi] radians about the vertical (initial polarization) axis.
Parity-violating neutron spin rotation in a liquid parahydrogen target
The weakside mid-court defender (WT5 in this scenario) rotates diagonally deeper to protect the heart of the "2 Press" as well as look to "shoot the gap" for the horizontal escape pass across the court.
The 2-2-1 full court zone press and its multiple stunts
* Rotate the spool so the check/fill plug is horizontal.
Winch PM again
They must rotate together, communicate, stop the penetration, and then recover quickly to their regular players.
7 variations of the Shell Drill
They can rotate a casting mounted on their fixture plate through 360 degrees horizontally and tilt to a vertical position.
Cleaning rooms gain efficiency
The researchers based their assumption on observations suggesting that Sedna rotates unusually slowly--just once every 20 days.
The moon that isn't there
* Deltoid (three heads) -- abducts (away from the midline of the body), flexes, extends, and rotates the arm.
Target training: The shoulders. (Powerline)
One of the most common and industrially relevant techniques is to rotate loads of grains or powders in tumblers, essentially rotating drums, such as those used widely in the pharmaceutical industry.
Mastering the mixer: the frustrating physics of cake mix and concrete
The speed-thrower will rotate the hip, then lift the torso in the middle of the ring.
Speed glide shot putting Part 2: The lower body action. (Track & Field)
Cyclonic eddies--those that rotate in the same direction as a cyclone, which is counterclockwise in the Northern Hemisphere and in the opposite direction in the Southern Hemisphere--usually bring relatively cold, nutrient-filled waters to the ocean's upper, sunlit layers, where phytoplankton can proliferate.
Oceans aswirl: massive eddies influence Earth's climate, marine ecosystems, even big business
Abdominals: The four abdominal muscles (rectus abdominus, external oblique, internal oblique, and transeverse abdominus) serve to flex the thorax as well as rotate and laterally flex the vertebral column.
SPEED IMPROVEMENT: ITS MACHINERY & MECHANICS
Two years ago, Montemagno's team reported that they had attached small nickel and protein propellers to [F.sub.1]-ATPase hubs that rotate about 8 times per second.
Strategy controls minuscule motor. (Nanotech Switch)
Have the Secondary Rotate. The last key is to have the secondary rotate rather than converge, as shown in Diag.
Keys to Stopping the Option Play