gyroscope

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UK/ˈd͡ʒaɪ.ɹəˌskəʊp/US/ˈd͡ʒaɪ.ɹəˌskoʊp/

noun

An apparatus composed of a wheel which spins inside of a frame (gimbal) and causes the balancing of the frame in any direction or position. In the form of a gyroscopic stabilizer, used to help keep aircraft and ships steady.

Similar
gyro
OriginFrench gyroscope ← Ancient Greek σκοπέω (skopéō) ← Proto-Hellenic *sképt͏̌omai →
UncommonScrabble 17
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Meanings

noungyroscope (plural gyroscopes)

plural gyroscopes

  1. An apparatus composed of a wheel which spins inside of a frame (gimbal) and causes the balancing of the frame in any direction or position. In the form of a gyroscopic stabilizer, used to help keep aircraft and ships steady.

    Working with NR, ScotRail and Porterbrook, Perpetuum has fitted sensors with gyroscopes and accelerometers to trains that are already in passenger service.

    2022 March 23, “Network News: Hitachi on-train track monitoring trial expands to Scottish routes”, in RAIL, number 953, page 13

Synonyms & antonyms

nounrotating mechanism in the form of a universally mounted spinning wheel that offers resistance to turns in any direction

Similar
gyro
Broader
rotating mechanism
Also see
gyro

Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.

Origin

  1. Proto-Indo-European*gew-
  2. Ancient Greekγῦρος (gûros)
  3. Frenchgyro-
  4. Proto-Indo-European*speḱ-
  5. Proto-Indo-European*spéḱyeti
  6. Proto-Hellenic*sképt͏̌omai
  7. Ancient Greekσκέπτομαι (sképtomai)
  8. Ancient Greekσκοπός (skopós)
  9. Ancient Greekσκοπέω (skopéō)
  10. Frenchgyroscope
  11. Englishgyroscope

Borrowed from French gyroscope, coined in 1852 by physicist Leon Foucault, equivalent to gyro- + -scope, from Ancient Greek γῦρος (gûros, “circle”) and σκοπός (skopós, “watcher”).

More words from French, Ancient Greek

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Arabic جَيْرُوسْكُوب
  • جَيْرُوسْكُوب (jayrūskūb)apparatus
Catalan giroscopi
  • giroscopiapparatus
Chinese Cantonese 陀螺儀 /陀螺仪
  • 陀螺儀 /陀螺仪apparatus
Chinese Mandarin 陀螺儀 /陀螺仪, 迴轉儀 /回转仪
  • 陀螺儀 /陀螺仪 (tuóluóyí)apparatus
  • 迴轉儀 /回转仪 (huízhuǎnyí)apparatus
Czech gyroskop
  • gyroskopapparatus
Danish gyroskop
  • gyroskopapparatus
Dutch gyroscoop
  • gyroscoopapparatus
Finnish gyroskooppi
  • gyroskooppiapparatus
French gyroscope
  • gyroscopeapparatus
German Gyroskop
  • Gyroskopapparatus
Greek γυροσκόπιο
  • γυροσκόπιο (gyroskópio)apparatus
Hungarian giroszkóp
  • giroszkópapparatus
Icelandic snúður, snúðvísir
  • snúðurapparatus
  • snúðvísirapparatus
Indonesian giroskop
  • giroskopapparatus
Italian giroscopio
  • giroscopioapparatus
Japanese ジャイロスコープ
  • ジャイロスコープ (jairosukōpu)apparatus
Korean 자이로스코프
  • 자이로스코프 (jairoseukopeu)apparatus
Malay gegasing, giroskop
  • gegasingapparatus
  • giroskopapparatus
Polish żyroskop
  • żyroskopapparatus
Portuguese giroscópio
  • giroscópioapparatus
Russian гироско́п
  • гироско́п (giroskóp)apparatus
Spanish giroscopio
  • giroscopioapparatus
Swedish gyroskop
  • gyroskopapparatus
Tagalog halintigal
  • halintigalapparatus
Tamil சுழல்காட்டி
  • சுழல்காட்டி (cuḻalkāṭṭi)apparatus
Turkish jiroskop
  • jiroskopapparatus
Cite this entry
APA

gyroscope. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/gyroscope

MLA

“gyroscope.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/gyroscope. Accessed November 2, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “gyroscope,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/gyroscope.

Source: gyroscope on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.