GC: n

CT: Wind turbines harness the power of the wind and use it to generate electricity. Simply stated, a wind turbine works the opposite of a fan. Instead of using electricity to make wind, like a fan, wind turbines use wind to make electricity. The energy in the wind turns two or three propeller-like blades around a rotor. The rotor is connected to the main shaft, which spins a generator to create electricity. This illustration provides a detailed view of the inside of a wind turbine, its components, and their functionality.

S: http://energy.gov/eere/wind/inside-wind-turbine-0 (last access: 4 February 2015)

N: 1. 1873, irregular shortening of rotator (see rotate (v.)), originally in mathematics. Mechanical sense is attested from 1903; specifically of helicopters from 1930.
2. Blades and hub together form the rotor.
3. The rotor is the heart of a wind turbine. It consists of multiple rotor blades attached to a hub. The rotor converts the wind energy into a rotation.

S: 1. OED – http://www.etymonline.com/index.php?allowed_in_frame=0&search=rotor&searchmode=none (last access: 4 February 2015). 2. http://energy.gov/eere/wind/inside-wind-turbine-0 (last access: 4 February 2015). 3. http://www.wwindea.org/technology/ch01/en/1_2_1_2.html (last access: 4 February 2015).

SYN:
S:

CR: blade, [stator ], wind turbine (1).