gyrate

gyrate · verb¹

1. Proto-Indo-European · derived from*gew-“to bend; to curve”
2. Ancient Greek · derived fromγῦρος“a circle, a ring”
3. Old French · derived fromgirer“to turn”
4. Middle English · inherited fromgiren“to turn (something) away; to cause (something) to revolve or rotate; to travel in a circle”
5. English todaygyrate

Back-formation from gyration, on the basis of -ate (verb-forming suffix), from gyre (“to spin around; to gyrate, to whirl; (rare) to make (something) spin or whirl around; to spin, to whirl”) + -ation (suffix indicating actions or processes), further from Late Middle English giren (“to turn (something) away; to cause (something) to revolve or rotate; to travel in a circle”), from Old French girer (“to turn”), from Latin gȳrō (“to turn in a circle, rotate; to circle or revolve around”), from gȳrus (“circle; circular motion; circuit, course”) + -ō (first conjugation verb-forming suffix), from Ancient Greek γῦρος (gûros, “a circle, a ring”), ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *gew- (“to bend; to curve”). By surface analysis, gyre + -ate (verb-forming suffix).

gyrate · adjective²

From gyrus (“fold, convolution”) + -ate (adjective-forming suffix).

Words from the same roots