Rosula, roz′ū-la, n. a small rose: a genus of Echinoderms.—adjs. Ros′ūlar, Ros′ūlate, having the leaves in rose-like clusters.

Rot, rot, v.i. to putrefy: to become decomposed: to become morally corrupt: to become affected with sheep-rot.—v.t. to cause to rot: to bring to corruption:—pr.p. rot′ting; pa.t. and pa.p. rot′ted.—n. decay: putrefaction: a special disease of the sheep, as of the potato: a decay (called dry-rot) which attacks timber: (slang) rant, bosh.—ns. Rot′-grass, the soft grass: the butterwort: the penny-rot; Rot′gut, bad liquor; Rot′-steep, the process of steeping cottons to remove impurities. [A.S. rotian, pa.p. rotod; cf. Ice. rotinn, putrid.]

Rota, rō′ta, n. a wheel: a course: a school or military roll: an ecclesiastical tribunal in the R.C. Church, consisting of twelve prelates called auditors, having its seat at the papal court.—adj. Rō′tal.—n.pl. Rotā′lia, the typical genus of Rotaliidæ, small foraminifers of rotate figure.—adjs. Rotā′lian; Rotal′iform; Rō′taline.—n. Rō′talite, a fossil rotalian.—adj. Rō′tary, turning round like a wheel: rotatory: held in rotation.—v.t. Rō′tāte, to turn anything round like a wheel: to cause to turn or to pass in rotation.—v.i. to turn round like a wheel: to go round in succession.—adj. wheel-shaped.—ns. Rotā′ting-ring, a band of brass, &c., placed round a projectile to give it rotation; Rotā′tion, a turning round like a wheel: series or appropriate succession, as of crops: recurrent order.—adjs. Rotā′tional, Rō′tātive.—adv. Rō′tātively.—n. Rotā′tor, any rotational agency: a muscle producing rotatory motion.—n.pl. Rotatō′ria, the wheel-animalcules—also Rotif′era.—adjs. Rotatō′rial, Rotatō′rian; Rō′tatory, turning round like a wheel: following in succession. [L. rota, a wheel.]

Rotche, roch, n. the little auk, or sea-dove.—Also Rotch′ie. [Prob. Dut. rotje, a petrel.]

Rote, rōt, n. the mechanical repetition of words without knowledge of the meaning: a row or rank.—v.t. (Shak.) to learn by rote. [O. Fr. rote, a track—Low L. rupta, a road—rumpĕre, to break.]

Rote, rōt, n. a musical instrument with strings.—n. Rō′tour. [O. Fr. rote, a fiddle (cf. Old High Ger. hrotā), from Celt.; W. crwth, Gael. cruit.]

Rote, rōt, n. the sound of the surf.

Rotella, rō-tel′a, n. a disc, a round shield: a genus of gasteropods. [Dim. of L. rota, a wheel.]

Rother, roth′ėr, adj. (Shak.) roaring, lowing, denoting cattle generally, or horned or black cattle.—n. Roth′er-beast. [A.S. hrýther, an ox, a cow; cf. Ger. pl. rinder, horned cattle.]

Rothesay Herald, one of the six Scottish heralds.