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Glite Dictionary
🚁 Spinning blades ⚡ Engine spark part 🔄 Spinning core
rotor

rotor

3 6.2
A bar inside a car distributor that turns and sends electric current to spark plugs
  • noun
  • /ˈroʊtər/
  • Archaic
translation icon : rotor (del distribuidor)
  • The mechanic advised that the rotor should be replaced to improve engine performance.
  • rotor dynamics

Examples

  • The whole rotor head will tilt to the left or to the right.

  • Because the ignition rotor is missing.

    1992 (2024)

  • The ignition rotor is missing.

    1992 (2024)

  • Effect jeeps cannot be disabled by removing the distributor rotor.

    Fiction book (2000)

  • Take off the distributor cap and rotor and check the centrifugal advance weights and springs.

    Blog text (5)

  • When servicing the engine, make sure to check the rotor for any signs of wear.

  • A faulty rotor can prevent high-voltage current from reaching the spark plugs.

Compounds

tail rotor
  • Specialized
4 6.8

A small spinning blade at the tail of a helicopter that keeps it from spinning

rotor blade
  • Specialized
3 4.4

A long blade that turns to lift a helicopter

main rotor
  • Specialized
1 4.5

A large set of spinning blades on a helicopter that lifts it into the air

anti-torque rotor
  • Specialized
7.7

A rotor at the tail of a helicopter that stops it from spinning

rotor coil
  • Specialized
6.3

Coiled wire on the motor's rotating part that carries electric current and makes it turn

rotor head
  • Specialized
7.6

The central part of a helicopter that holds the blades and turns

rotor shaft
  • Specialized
6.0

A long middle bar that the main rotor spins around in a helicopter

single-rotor helicopter
6.4

A helicopter that has one main spinning blade and a tail rotor for balance

Surface Forms

rotor singular
rotors plural

Morphology

rotor = rotate (transparent) = rotate + or

The word is formed from 'rotate' plus the noun-forming suffix '-or', directly yielding 'something that rotates'.

Etymology

Rotor comes from the Latin root rot- and rotare, which mean 'to turn' or 'wheel' and are the same root as rotate. In a car's distributor the rotor is the small part that turns to send the high-voltage spark to each plug, so the origin 'to turn' explains its job.