Plain English Meaning

A push or pull on a spinning gyro that makes its axis tip over. The tip-over does not happen where you pushed — it shows up a quarter-turn around the spin direction. In an attitude indicator, these forces can briefly throw the display off until the gyro re-erects.

Full Definition

The applied force on a spinning gyroscope rotor that causes the rotor's axis to tilt or move. In a gyroscope, this force does not produce movement at the point where it is applied; instead, the resulting motion appears 90 degrees later in the direction of rotation. In attitude indicators, mechanical erection systems and aircraft maneuvers can introduce precessing forces that displace the gyro from its true vertical reference, causing temporary indication .