noun
potter's wheel
Specifically the rotating wheel used in pottery making.
彼女はろくろで美しい茶碗を作った。
She made a beautiful tea bowl on the potter's wheel.
noun
A machine for shaping wood or metal by rotating it against a cutting tool.
職人がろくろを使って木の器を削っている。
The craftsman is turning a wooden bowl on the lathe.
noun
A wheel with a grooved rim for a rope or chain, used for lifting or pulling; also a horizontal drum for hoisting. Often encountered in traditional well mechanisms.
井戸のろくろを使って水を汲み上げた。
We drew water using the well's windlass.
The origin is uncertain. The kanji 轆轤 are rare and likely chosen for their meaning rather than phonetic reasons.