swirl vs rotate

swirl is a noun but rotate is not a noun.

Word	Noun	Adjective	Verb	Adverb
swirl	Yes	No	Yes	No
rotate	No	No	Yes	No

As verbs, rotate is a hypernym of swirl; that is, rotate is a word with a broader meaning than swirl:

Other hypernyms of swirl include go around, revolve.

swirl (noun)	rotate (noun)
the shape of something rotating rapidly

swirl (verb)	rotate (verb)
flow in a circular current, of liquids	plant or grow in a fixed cyclic order of succession
turn in a twisting or spinning motion	perform a job or duty on a rotating basis
	cause to turn on an axis or center
	turn on or around an axis or a center
	turn outward
	exchange on a regular basis