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

Some parts, like the gyroscope, would be hard to make as good with research money as an industry that sells billions of them in every phone. —IEEE Spectrum, 14 Feb. 2019

For decades, the standard backup for this kind of navigational failure has been inertial navigation, a method for tracking motion using accelerometers and gyroscopes. —The Physics Arxiv Blog, Discover Magazine, 22 Apr. 2025

During those extended stints navigating Hubble's handrails, NASA astronauts Steven Smith and John Grunsfeld replaced all six gyroscopes inside the telescope's Rate Sensor Unites (RSUs) and installed a new transmitter and data recorder. —Josh Dinner, Space.com, 22 Apr. 2025

Enhanced with a gyroscope and a new mouse mechanic, players can simulate movement with precision, akin to rolling a ball across the floor. —Eammonn Dignam, FOXNews.com, 14 Apr. 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