/roh"teuhr/ , n.
1. Elect. a rotating member of a machine. Cf. stator (def. 1).
2. Aeron. a system of rotating airfoils, as the horizontal ones of a helicopter or of the compressor of a jet engine.
3. any of a number of tall, cylindrical devices mounted on a special ship (rotor ship) and rotated in such a way that the Magnus effect of wind impinging on the cylinders is used to drive and maneuver the vessel.
4. (in a self-winding watch) a weight eccentrically mounted on an arbor for keeping the mainspring wound.
[ 1873; short for ROTATOR ]