Sentence:  Turbines have been around for a long time—windmills and water wheels are early examples. The name comes from the Latin "turbo", meaning "vortex", and thus the defining property of a turbine is that a fluid or gas turns the blades of a <WSD>rotor</WSD>, which is attached to a shaft that can perform useful work. 
Meaning of the word marked with <WSD> tags:  A rotating part of a mechanical device, for example in an electric motor, generator, alternator or pump.