Gyro
/ˈdʒaɪ.roʊ/noun
A sandwich made with meat cooked on a vertical rotisserie, usually served in pita with toppings.
Did you know?Gyro is a modern borrowing from Greek γύρος (gyros), meaning “turn” or “circle,” and it ultimately traces back to the same ancient root that gave English words for rounds, gyres, and rotations.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*ger-
“to turn, bend, or twist”
Ancient Greek
Greek
γῦρος / γύρος (gyros)
“a round, circle, or turn”
Modern Greek
Greek
γύρος (gyros)
“turn; also a type of roast meat sliced from a rotating spit”
20th Century
English
gyro
“a sandwich named after the rotating meat preparation”
Modern English
English
gyro
“a sandwich of sliced meat served in pita”