rota

Everyday

1. (UK, Australia, NZ) A rota is a list showing who has to do a job and when, so that people take turns. tree →
2. A regular turn-by-turn system of doing a job. tree →

In the lessons

In everyday life schools have rotas for tidying up, watering plants or class monitors; families make a washing-up rota; workers have shift rotas. In the USA people say «roster» or «schedule». Phrases: «a cleaning rota», «on the rota», «a duty rota», «draw up a rota».

Examples

• Our class has a rota for feeding the fish. tree →
• I'm on the washing-up rota tonight. tree →
• Mum made a rota so we take turns with the dog. tree →
• The nurses' rota shows who works at night. tree →
• The teacher drew up a rota for playground jobs. tree →
• Check the rota to see whose turn it is. tree →
• If four children share a rota of eight days, each child has two turns. tree →

Note

Countable: rotas. Mainly British, Irish, Australian and NZ English; American English uses «roster» or «schedule». Maths: share jobs equally by dividing days by people.