revolve

English

Etymology

From Middle English revolven (“to change direction”), borrowed from Old French revolver (“to reflect upon”), from Latin revolvere, present active infinitive of revolvō (“turn over, roll back, reflect upon”), from re- (“back”) + volvō (“roll”); see voluble, volve.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ɹɪˈvɒlv/

• Audio (Southern England)

  (file)

Verb

revolve (third-person singular simple present revolves, present participle revolving, simple past and past participle revolved)

1. (Physical movement.)
   1. (transitive, now rare) To bring back into a particular place or condition; to restore.
   2. (transitive) To cause (something) to turn around a central point.
   3. (intransitive) To orbit a central point (especially of a celestial body).

      The Earth revolves around the sun.

   4. (intransitive) To rotate around an axis.

      The Earth revolves once every twenty-four hours.

      • 1915, G[eorge] A. Birmingham [pseudonym; James Owen Hannay], chapter I, in Gossamer, New York, N.Y.: George H. Doran Company, →OCLC:

        It is never possible to settle down to the ordinary routine of life at sea until the screw begins to revolve. There is an hour or two, after the passengers have embarked, which is disquieting and fussy.

   5. (intransitive) To move in order or sequence.

      The program revolves through all the queues before returning to the start.

2. (Mental activity.)
   1. (transitive, now rare) To ponder on; to reflect repeatedly upon; to consider all aspects of.
      • 1748, [Samuel Richardson], “Letter LXXXII”, in Clarissa. Or, The History of a Young Lady: , volumes (please specify |volume=I to VII), London: S Richardson;  , →OCLC:

        These are the difficulties which arise to me on revolving this scheme […].

      • 1843 April, Thomas Carlyle, “chapter 6, Monk Samson”, in Past and Present, American edition, Boston, Mass.: Charles C[offin] Little and James Brown, published 1843, →OCLC, book II (The Ancient Monk):

        He sits silent, revolving many thoughts, at the foot of St. Edmund’s Shrine.

   2. (transitive, obsolete) To read through, to study (a book, author etc.).
      • 1671, John Milton, “(please specify the page)”, in Paradise Regain’d. A Poem. In IV Books. To which is Added, Samson Agonistes, London: J. M for John Starkey , →OCLC:

        This having heard, strait I again revolv’d / The Law and Prophets.

Derived terms

• revolve around
• revolver
• the world doesn't revolve around you

Related terms

• revolution

Translations

Further reading

• “revolve”, in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, Springfield, Mass.: G. & C. Merriam, 1913, →OCLC.
• “revolve”, in The Century Dictionary , New York, N.Y.: The Century Co., 1911, →OCLC.

Noun

revolve (plural revolves)

1. (theater) The rotation of part of the scenery within a theatrical production.
2. (theater) The rotating section itself.
   • 2003, Gary Philip Cohen, The Community Theater Handbook, page 134:

     […] a revolving stage, two-level platforms stage left and stage right, and a large bridge that connected the platforms midstage, twelve feet up off the revolve.

3. (obsolete) A radical change; revolution.

Anagrams

• evolver

Latin

Verb

revolve

1. second-person singular present active imperative of revolvō

Portuguese

Verb

revolve

1. inflection of revolver:
   1. third-person singular present indicative
   2. second-person singular imperative