centrifuge

American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition

1. n. An apparatus consisting essentially of a compartment spun about a central axis to separate contained materials of different specific gravities, or to separate colloidal particles suspended in a liquid.
2. n. An apparatus in which humans or animals are enclosed and which is revolved to simulate the effects of acceleration in a spacecraft.
3. v. To rotate (something) in a centrifuge or to separate, dehydrate, or test by means of this apparatus.

Century Dictionary and Cyclopedia

1. n. A centrifugal machine; specifically, a form of centrifugal machine employed to separate the solid particles suspended in a fluid, such as the blood or urine.
2. To submit to very rapid rotatory motion in a centrifuge or centrifugal machine in order to separate suspended solid particles from a liquid, or two immiscible liquids of different densities from one another.

Wiktionary

1. n. A device in which a mixture of denser and lighter materials (normally dispersed in a liquid) is separated by being spun about a central axis at high speed.
2. n. figuratively An apparatus in which humans are spun to simulate acceleration in an aircraft or spacecraft.
3. v. To rotate something in a centrifuge in order to separate its constituents

GNU Webster's 1913

1. n. an apparatus having containers for liquids arrayed around a central pivot and rotated at a high speed, thus generating centrifugal force on the liquid, and separating substances (such as particles of solid or globules of an immiscible liquid) mixed together in suspension within the liquid. Suspensions which would settle only very slowly or not at all under gravity can be made to separate quickly in such a device.
2. v. to drive out; to subject to the action of a centrifuge.

WordNet 3.0

1. n. an apparatus that uses centrifugal force to separate particles from a suspension
2. v. rotate at very high speed in order to separate the liquids from the solids