gyroscope

noun

gy·​ro·​scope ˈjī-rə-ˌskōp 

 British also  ˈgī-

: a wheel or disk mounted to spin rapidly about an axis and also free to rotate about one or both of two axes perpendicular to each other and to the axis of spin so that a rotation of one of the two mutually perpendicular axes results from application of torque to the other when the wheel is spinning and so that the entire apparatus offers considerable opposition depending on the angular momentum to any torque that would change the direction of the axis of spin

gyroscopic

ˌjī-rə-ˈskä-pik 

adjective

gyroscopically

ˌjī-rə-ˈskä-pi-k(ə-)lē 

adverb

Illustration of gyroscope

Examples of gyroscope in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

No, there’s not yet any evidence Russian troops are about to ride into battle on hoverboards: two-wheeled kids’ toys that don’t actually hover, but do speed along on internal gyroscopes to keep their riders upright and balanced. —David Axe, Forbes, 24 Feb. 2025

Like the optical gyroscopes that appeared before it, this gyroscope leveraged the Sagnac effect, a principle first demonstrated in 1913 by French physicist Georges Sagnac. —IEEE Spectrum, 10 Feb. 2025

The accelerometers and gyroscopes can process inputs every five milliseconds, but the steering angle sensor outputs every 10 milliseconds. —Michael Teo Van Runkle, Ars Technica, 8 Apr. 2024

Advanced sensors with accelerometers and gyroscopes track shots and passes with 1,000 data points per second. —Jennifer Kite-Powell, Forbes, 10 Jan. 2025

Word History

Etymology

French

First Known Use

1856, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for gyroscope

• antelope
• bronchoscope
• cantaloupe
• cystoscope
• endoscope
• envelope
• epitope
• horoscope
• isotope
• microscope
• misanthrope
• pericope

Kids Definition

gyroscope

noun

gy·​ro·​scope ˈjī-rə-ˌskōp 

: a wheel or disk mounted to spin rapidly about an axis that is free to turn in various directions

gyroscopic

ˌjī-rə-ˈskäp-ik 

adjective