An outdoor rotary clothes dryer is a clothesline in the shape of an inverted umbrella, this rotary clothes dryer can have either three or four arms extending out from a center pole sometimes called the center mast, the clothesline is threaded through the arms and spreads out from the center to the full length of the arms.

The term umbrella clothesline is used to describe the dryer because the clothesline can be closed like an umbrella when not in use, they are also known as rotary line because they can turn in the breeze when loaded with laundry.