gyrocompass

noun

gy·​ro·​com·​pass ˈjī-rō-ˌkəm-pəs How to pronounce gyrocompass (audio)
 also  -ˌkäm-
: a compass consisting of a continuously driven gyroscope whose spinning axis is confined to a horizontal plane so that the earth's rotation causes it to assume a position parallel to the earth's axis and thus point to the true north

Examples of gyrocompass in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web His submarine tumbled flailing into the water, its gyrocompass already broken. Chieko Tsuneoka, WSJ, 7 Dec. 2021 Among the downstream effects of the steam-engine malfunction was the failure of the gyrocompass, the principal tool that the Palau’s navigation team relied upon. Annie Murphy Paul, Wired, 15 June 2021 Without the gyrocompass, the team had to manually ascertain the position of the ship, relying on bearings taken from multiple landmarks on shore. Annie Murphy Paul, Wired, 15 June 2021 When Perry was writing, gyrocompasses were cutting-edge, immature technology. Frank Wilczek, WSJ, 13 Sep. 2018 The first of these is the EM3000 multi-beam sonar — a portable hydrographic mapping system consisting of a transducer, motion sensor, gyrocompass, and navigation system. Louise Knapp, WIRED, 27 Feb. 2001

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'gyrocompass.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1910, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of gyrocompass was in 1910

Dictionary Entries Near gyrocompass

Cite this Entry

“Gyrocompass.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/gyrocompass. Accessed 28 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

gyrocompass

noun
gy·​ro·​com·​pass ˈjī-rō-ˌkəm-pəs How to pronounce gyrocompass (audio)
 also  -ˌkäm-
: a compass consisting of a constantly spinning gyroscope whose spin axis is always parallel to the earth's axis of rotation so that the compass always points to true north

More from Merriam-Webster on gyrocompass

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!