# gyro

Pronunciation: say "YEE-roh" US /ˈjiː.ɹoʊ/, UK /ˈjiː.ɹəʊ/

## Noun

1. A Greek-style sandwich made with grilled meat, tomato, onions, and tzatziki sauce, usually wrapped in pita bread.
   - Simple: A Greek sandwich filled with grilled meat, tomato, onion, and a creamy yogurt sauce.
   - _The corner diner sells a lamb gyro that locals line up for at noon._
   - _He folded the warm pita around the meat and turned it into a proper gyro._
2. A gyroscope: a device that resists or senses changes in orientation, classically a fast-spinning wheel and now often an electronic sensor, used to keep things steady or indicate direction. (pronounced: say "JY-roh" US /ˈd͡ʒaɪ.ɹoʊ/, UK /ˈd͡ʒaɪ.ɹəʊ/)
   - Simple: A part that senses turning, or a spinning wheel that keeps its balance, used to keep machines steady or find direction.
   - _Engineers tested the gyro to see how well it held the platform steady._
   - _The pilot waited for the attitude gyro to spin up before starting the takeoff roll._
3. A non-magnetic compass that relies on a fast-spinning wheel to find and hold true north, used mainly aboard ships. (pronounced: say "JY-roh" US /ˈd͡ʒaɪ.ɹoʊ/, UK /ˈd͡ʒaɪ.ɹəʊ/)
   - Simple: A compass that uses a fast-spinning wheel to point to true north instead of magnetic north.
   - _The helmsman steered by the gyro after the magnetic compass began acting up._
   - _Each watch, the officer compared the gyro against a star sight to confirm the heading._
4. A type of aircraft that gets its lift from a freely turning overhead rotor, while an engine-driven propeller provides the forward thrust. (pronounced: say "JY-roh" US /ˈd͡ʒaɪ.ɹoʊ/, UK /ˈd͡ʒaɪ.ɹəʊ/)
   - Simple: A small aircraft that flies using a freely spinning rotor on top, a bit like a simple helicopter.
   - _She trained for months before flying the gyro solo over the coast._
   - _The little gyro climbed slowly but handled the crosswind with ease._
5. On a BMX bike, a rotor mechanism that lets the handlebars and front wheel make a full turn without twisting the rear brake cable. (pronounced: say "JY-roh" US /ˈd͡ʒaɪ.ɹoʊ/, UK /ˈd͡ʒaɪ.ɹəʊ/)
   - Simple: A part on a BMX bike that lets the handlebars spin all the way around without tangling the brake cables.
   - _With a gyro on his bike, he could finally land a full barspin._
   - _The shop adjusted her gyro so the rear brake still grabbed firmly after the upgrade._

## Origin

**Meanings 2–5** — Originally a shortening of "gyroscope" (and later "gyrocompass" and "autogyro"); the BMX sense comes from Gyro, a trademark of Odyssey BMX.
**Meaning 1** — English took gyro from gyros by dropping the -s, as though gyros were a plural. Greek γύρος (gýros) refers to meat that turns on a spit as it roasts, and the Greek name is a calque of Turkish döner. Gyro, gyre, and gyrus are doublets.

Source: DictionaryAI, https://dictionaryai.com/define/gyro (written from Wiktionary data, CC BY-SA 4.0: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/).