What does "gyroscope" mean?

An apparatus composed of a wheel which spins inside of a frame (gimbal) and causes the balancing of the frame in any direction or position. In the form of a gyroscopic stabilizer, used to help keep aircraft and ships steady.

What is a synonym for "gyroscope"?

Common synonyms include: balance, balance rudder, balance wheel, ballast, centrifuge, chuck.

How do you pronounce "gyroscope"?

Pronounced //ˈd͡ʒaɪ.ɹəˌskəʊp//.

Gyroscope

//ˈd͡ʒaɪ.ɹəˌskəʊp// noun

noun ·Uncommon ·Advanced level

Definitions

Noun

1
An apparatus composed of a wheel which spins inside of a frame (gimbal) and causes the balancing of the frame in any direction or position. In the form of a gyroscopic stabilizer, used to help keep aircraft and ships steady.
"Working with NR, ScotRail and Porterbrook, Perpetuum has fitted sensors with gyroscopes and accelerometers to trains that are already in passenger service."
2
rotating mechanism in the form of a universally mounted spinning wheel that offers resistance to turns in any direction wordnet

Synonyms

All synonyms

balance balance rudder balance wheel ballast centrifuge chuck

Example

More examples

"Working with NR, ScotRail and Porterbrook, Perpetuum has fitted sensors with gyroscopes and accelerometers to trains that are already in passenger service."

Etymology

Borrowed from French gyroscope, coined in 1852 by physicist Leon Foucault, equivalent to gyro- + -scope, from Ancient Greek γῦρος (gûros, “circle”) and σκοπός (skopós, “watcher”).

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Data sourced from Wiktionary, WordNet, CMU, and other open linguistic databases. Updated March 2026.