GYROSCOPE
gyroscope, gyro
(noun) rotating mechanism in the form of a universally mounted spinning wheel that offers resistance to turns in any direction
Source: WordNet® 3.1
Etymology
Noun
gyroscope (plural gyroscopes)
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.
Source: Wiktionary
Gy"ro*scope, n. Etym: [Gr. -scope.]
1. A rotating wheel, mounted in a ring or rings, for illustrating the
dynamics of rotating bodies, the composition of rotations, etc. It
was devised by Professor W. R. Johnson, in 1832, by whom it was
called the rotascope.
2. A form of the above apparatus, invented by M. Foucault, mounted so
delicately as to render visible the rotation of the earth, through
the tendency of the rotating wheel to preserve a constant plane of
rotation, independently of the earth's motion.
Source: Webster’s Unabridged Dictionary 1913 Edition