Gyroscope
/ˈdʒaɪ.rəˌskoʊp/noun
An instrument containing a spinning wheel or rotor that maintains orientation and measures rotation.
Did you know?Gyroscope comes from Greek roots tied to turning and watching, and the same ancient verb behind it also lives in words like horizon and periscope—language obsessed with seeing through motion.
Etymological Timeline
Ancient Greek
Greek
gyros
“a ring, circle, or turn”
Ancient Greek
Greek
skopein
“to look at, examine, watch”
19th Century
French
gyroscope
“an instrument for observing rotation or a spinning body's behavior”
1852
French
gyroscope
“Foucault's coined name for a device demonstrating rotation and stability”
Modern English
English
gyroscope
“a device that uses a spinning rotor to measure or maintain orientation”