ETYM Greek gyros ring, circle + -scope.
A universally mounted spinning wheel that offers resistance to turns in any direction; SYN. gyro.
Solid wheel rotating in a ring, with its axis free to turn; such apparatus with its axis fixed and acting as compass, stabilizer, etc.
Mechanical instrument, used as a stabilizing device and consisting, in its simplest form, of a heavy wheel mounted on an axis fixed in a ring that can be rotated about another axis, which is also fixed in a ring capable of rotation about a third axis. Applications of the gyroscope principle include the gyrocompass, the gyropilot for automatic steering, and gyro-directed torpedoes.
The components of the gyroscope are arranged so that the three axes of rotation in any position pass through the wheel's center of gravity. The wheel is thus capable of rotation about three mutually perpendicular axes, and its axis may take up any direction. If the axis of the spinning wheel is displaced, a restoring movement develops, returning it to its initial direction. + prikaži više