Illustration of gyroscope
gy·ro·scope
ˈjī-rə-ˌskōp
British also ˈgī-
plural gyroscopes
: a wheel or disk mounted so that it can spin rapidly about one axis while also free to rotate about one or both of the two other perpendicular axes so that when torque is applied to either of these axes when the wheel is spinning a rotation about the other axis results
… a gyroscope is a rapidly spinning object that holds the direction of its spin axis steadily fixed over a very long time. Such gyroscopes are key components of inertial navigation systems for airplanes and missiles.—Kip Thorne
The gyroscope is a spinning wheel, like a child's top, mounted in gimbals that allow it freedom of movement. It has two important traits: left alone, it maintains a fixed orientation in space (in relation to the stars); and when tilted, it reacts in an odd but predictable way.—William Langewiesche
If force is applied to the axis of the spinning gyroscope, the axis rotates not in the direction in which the force is applied, but 90° from this. This reaction is known as precession, which is defined as that property of a gyroscope that causes the spin axis to change direction when a torque or force is applied to the gyro.—Dutton's Navigation & Piloting
Cite this Entry
“Gyroscope.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/gyroscope. Accessed 26 Aug. 2026.
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