From Longman Dictionary of Contemporary Englishgyroscopegy‧ro‧scope /ˈdʒaɪrəskəʊp $ -skoʊp/ noun [countable] TTDGa wheel that spins inside a frame and is used for keeping ships and aircraft steady. It can also be a child’s toy. —gyroscopic /ˌdʒaɪrəˈskɒpɪk◂ $ -ˈskɑː-/ adjective
Examples from the Corpus
gyroscope• Polarised atoms of xenon are useful because they can provide the reference direction for very accurate gyroscopes.• This concept views human society as being equipped with an internal gyroscope which establishes a natural ordering mechanism in society.• The gyroscope of this system was the world's financial capital, London.• Theelegantly turning gyroscope rose steadily skywards, and at a given signal all the storks cruised purposefully off to the north.Origin gyroscope (1800-1900) French Greek gyros “ring, circle”; because it was originally used to show how the Earth turns