Plain English Meaning

A spinning wheel held inside a frame of pivoting rings, set up so the wheel can keep pointing the same way no matter how the thing holding it tilts or turns.

Full Definition

A spinning rotor supported in a set of pivoted rings (gimbals) that allow the rotor's spin axis to remain free to point in any direction in space, independent of the movement of the surrounding mounting. With three gimbals, the gyroscope has three degrees of freedom and can maintain its orientation regardless of how the aircraft pitches, rolls, or yaws around it.

Context Anchor

Seen in gyroscopic flight instrument discussions, especially when learning why attitude and heading instruments can stay stable while the aircraft moves.