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

Like its predecessor and the Series 11, the Ultra 3 has an electrical heart rate sensor to take an ECG, a third-gen optical heart rate sensor, an ambient light sensor, a compass, a gyroscope, and a water temperature sensor. —PC Magazine, 18 Sep. 2025

For decades, the Pentagon’s fallback has been inertial navigation systems (INS), which use gyroscopes and accelerometers to track motion without external signals. —Kapil Kajal, Interesting Engineering, 11 Sep. 2025

By measuring the rotation and acceleration of atoms, this new kind of gyroscope can sense motion with improved precision compared to conventional gyros flown on drones, airplanes, and satellites. —Stephen Clark, ArsTechnica, 22 Aug. 2025

Instead of using accelerometers and gyroscopes, a quantum sensor measures rotation and acceleration at the atomic level. —Matthew Glasser, ABC News, 19 Aug. 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