Corotate

Part of speech: verb

Definitions

1. To rotate simultaneously in the same direction at the same angular velocity; to move or turn in sync with another object around a common axis; referring to objects or systems sharing synchronized rotational motion
2. Describing the action of turning together with another element at matched speed and orientation; involving co-movement in a circular path maintaining consistent relative position; relating to synchronized spinning or orbiting in the same rotational sense
3. Characterizing coordinated rotation where multiple bodies spin at equal rates and directions; the act of moving in unison around a point or axis; referring to joint angular displacement maintaining a fixed relative alignment

Etymology: "Corotate" is a plain compound: the prefix "co-", meaning "together" or "with one another," attached to "rotate," which comes from the Latin "rotare," to turn around like a wheel, from "rota," wheel. Put together, it describes two things turning as one about a shared centre, so the word is essentially a literal description of its own meaning. The prefix does the real work here. "Co-" appears in many scientific and technical coinages where two bodies or processes are linked, such as "coexist" or "cooperate," and "corotate" follows that pattern, applied to rotation. It is most often used in astronomy and physics, where a moon or a planetary atmosphere may spin in step with the body it orbits.

Synonyms: cocreate, co-rotate, rotate together, spin together

Antonyms: counterrotate, rotate oppositely