revolve

• POS: Verb (usu participle), Verb (intransitive)
• HYPHEN: re=volve

CIDE DICTIONARY

revolve, v. i. [L. revolvere, revolutum; pref. re- re- + volvere to roll, turn round. See Voluble, and cf. Revolt, revolution.].

•  To turn or roll round on, or as on, an axis, like a wheel; to rotate, -- which is the more specific word in this sense.  [1913 Webster]

  "If the earth revolve thus, each house near the equator must move a thousand miles an hour."  [1913 Webster]
•  To move in a curved path round a center; as, the planets revolve round the sun.  [1913 Webster]
•  To pass in cycles; as, the centuries revolve.  [1913 Webster]
•  To return; to pass.  Ayliffe.  [1913 Webster]

revolve, v. t. 

•  To cause to turn, as on an axis.  [1913 Webster]

  "Then in the east her turn she shines,
  Revolved on heaven's great axile."  [1913 Webster]
•  Hence, to turn over and over in the mind; to reflect repeatedly upon; to consider all aspects of.  [1913 Webster]

  "This having heard, straight I again revolved
  The law and prophets."  [1913 Webster]

OXFORD DICTIONARY

revolve, v.
1 intr. & tr. turn or cause to turn round, esp. on an axis; rotate.
2 intr. move in a circular orbit.
3 tr. ponder (a problem etc.) in the mind.

Idiom

revolving credit credit that is automatically renewed as debts are paid off. revolving door a door with usu. four partitions turning round a central axis.

Derivative

revolvable adj.

Etymology

ME f. L revolvere (as RE-, volvere roll)

THESAURUS

revolve

alternate, be here again, brood over, chaw, chew over, circle, circuit, circuiteer, circulate, circulation, circumambulate, circummigrate, circumnavigate, circumrotate, circumvent, circumvolute, circumvolution, close the circle, come again, come and go, come around, come full circle, come round, come round again, come up again, compass, con over, consider, contemplate, convert, crank, cycle, deliberate, deliberate over, deliberate upon, depend, describe a circle, digest, encircle, encompass, evert, flank, girdle, girdle the globe, go about, go around, go round, go the round, gyrate, gyration, gyre, intermit, introvert, intussuscept, invaginate, inverse, invert, lap, make a circuit, meditate, meditate upon, mull over, muse, muse on, muse over, orbit, oscillate, pirouette, pivot, ponder, ponder over, pronate, pulsate, pulse, reappear, recur, reel, reflect over, reflect upon, rely, reoccur, repeat, resupinate, return, reverse, roll, roll around, rotate, rotation, round, ruminate, ruminate over, run over, screw, skirt, spin, spiral, supinate, surround, swing, swivel, think about, think over, transpose, turn, turn a pirouette, turn about, turn around, turn down, turn in, turn inside out, turn out, turn over, turn round, turn the scale, turn the tables, turn upside down, twirl, twist, undulate, wamble, weigh, wheel, wheel around, whirl, wind

ROGET THESAURUS

revolve

Periodicity

VB recur in regular order, recur in regular succession, return, revolve, come again, come in its turn, come round, come round again, beat, pulsate, alternate, intermit.

Rotation

VB rotate, roll along, revolve, spin, turn round, circumvolve, circulate, gyre, gyrate, wheel, whirl, pirouette, twirl, trundle, troll, bowl, roll up, furl, wallow, welter, box the compass, spin like a top, spin like a teetotum, spin out.