? Obs. [ad. L. volūtātiōn-, volūtātio, noun of action f. volūtāre (see prec.), f. volūt-, volvĕre to roll.]
1. The action of rolling or causing to roll; revolution combined with progression.
c. 1610. Sir C. Heydon, Astrol. Disc. (1650), 42. For whatsoever moveth another, it doth it either by impulsion, attraction, volutation, or vection.
1658. Sir T. Browne, Gard. Cyrus, iii. 53. Every globular Figure placed upon a plane, in direct volutation, returns to the first point of contaction.
1665. Glanvill, Def. Van. Dogm., 47. In Volutation the whole circumference moves by a motion both progressive and circular; but the centre by the progressive only.
1755. Johnson, To roll, to move any thing by volutation, or successive application of the different parts of the surface, to the ground.
b. Applied to the motion of liquids or sound.
1640. Bp. Reynolds, Passions, xxi. 220. In the Sea when a storme is over, there remaines still an inward working and volutation.
1671. R. Bohun, Wind, 192. When as the volutation of the waves so often changes the Superficies of the water.
1692. Ray, Disc., II. v. (1693), 205. The ebullition and volutation of the melted Materials.
1713. Denham, Phys. Theol., IV. iii. 120. But being hard, and curiously smooth and tortuous, sounds find an easy passage, with a regular Volutation and Refraction.
c. The action of rolling or turning over in a prostrate position; wallowing. Also fig.
1655. Vaughan, Silex Scint., I. Pref. (1858), 6. A constant sensual Volutation or wallowing in impure thoughts and scurrilous conceits.
1678. Cudworth, Intell. Syst., I. iii. § 37. 161. Not only our nictations … when we are awake, but also our nocturnal volutations in sleep, are performed with very little or no consciousness.
1721. Bailey, Volutation, a rolling, tumbling, or wallowing.
2. fig. (See quots.)
1623. Cockeram, I. Volutation, a tossing in the minde.
1649. J. H., Motion to Parl. Adv. Learn., 35. Considering the activity of his understanding, and the strange volutations of his affaires.
1806. H. K. White, Let. to R. W. A., 18 Aug. If these æthereal, aeronautical, mathematical volutations should displease you, perhaps it would not be amiss to saunter a few weeks on the site of Troy.
