revolved

Revolved is the simple past tense and past participle of the verb revolve. It describes motion in which an object travels in a circle around a central axis, or more broadly when something turns back to focus on a central point or topic. The term can be used for physical motion as well as figurative use in discussion or narrative.

Etymology: Revolve derives from Latin revolvere “to roll back,” from re- “back” + volvere “to roll,” through Old French revolver and later English. The sense of turning about or circling a center is central to modern usage.

Usage and distinctions: In astronomy and physics, planets, moons, and other bodies revolve around larger bodies due to gravity—for example, the Earth revolves around the Sun. In mechanics, a wheel revolves about its axle. In everyday language, a discussion can revolve around a topic: “The debate revolved around budget constraints.” Generally, revolve implies motion around an external axis, whereas rotate refers to spinning about an object’s own axis; many contexts use the terms interchangeably, but the distinction remains common in technical writing.

Examples: The planet revolves around the star. The wheel on the cart revolved smoothly. The conversation revolved around reforming policy.

See also: revolve, rotation, orbit, axis.