Revolve

Part of speech: verb

Pronunciation: /ɹɪˈvɒlv/

Definitions

1. To move in a circular path around a central point or axis, or to have something as the main focus or concern
2. To rotate around a central point while also having a particular focus or theme at the core of consideration
3. To move in a circular motion around a specific point or to center attention on a particular issue or idea

Etymology: The Latin "revolvere" was a plain physical verb meaning "roll back" or "turn over," built from "re-" (back) and "volvere" (to roll). Its sense of "reflect upon" grew from the image of turning a thing over again and again in the mind, and that mental meaning passed into Old French as "revolver" before reaching English in Middle English, where the word first meant "to change direction." The circular motion we now associate with it came later, so the modern sense is a narrowing of a broader idea of turning or rolling back. The English word shares its root with "voluble," which once described something that rolls easily and now describes a person who talks fluently, and with "volve," an older word for a rolling or turning motion. Both trace back to the same Latin "volvere," so this word is a close relative of talkative speech and of rolling motion alike.

Synonyms: rotate, spin, turn, gyrate, circle

Antonyms: settle, stay, stop, pause, rest