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Glite Dictionary
🚁 Rotor spinning 🍁 Seed spinning
autorotation

autorotation

7.7
A winged seed that spins as it falls to slow its fall and move away from the tree
  • noun
  • /ˌɔːtəroʊˈteɪʃən/
  • Specialized
: autorrotación
  • Children watched as the autorotation of sycamore seeds made them spin gently to the ground.

Examples

  • During autorotation, the seed spins gracefully in the air.

  • Scientists observed the autorotation of winged fruits to study their dispersal patterns.

  • The autorotation of maple seeds allows them to travel farther from the parent tree.

  • The autorotation of the maple seed allows it to travel far from the parent tree.

  • The autorotation of maple seeds allows them to travel farther from the parent tree.

  • Children watched as the autorotation of sycamore seeds made them spin gently to the ground.

  • Scientists observed the autorotation of winged fruits to study their dispersal patterns.

Surface Forms

autorotation singular
autorotations plural

Morphology

autorotation = rotation (semi-transparent) = auto + rotate + ion

The botanical sense is still based on self-rotation, but the specific meaning of a seed's spinning descent is specialized.

Etymology

Autorotation breaks into auto- 'self' and rotation 'turning', like in automatic and rotate. So, for seeds it means the seed spins 'by itself' as it falls, which slows the fall and helps the seed travel away from the parent tree.