[ro.ta.ry] adj [ML rotarius, fr. L rota wheel] (ca. 1731) 1 a: turning on an axis like a wheel b: taking place about an axis "~ motion"
2: having an important part that turns on an axis "~ cutter"
3: characterized by rotation
4: of, relating to, or being a press in which paper is printed by rotation in contact with a curved printing surface attached to a cylinder
[2]rotary n, pl -ries (ca. 1888) 1: a rotary machine
2: a road junction formed around a central circle about which traffic moves in one direction only--called also circle, traffic circle