zoetrope

American  

[zoh-ee-trohp] / ˈzoʊ iˌtroʊp /

noun

1. a device for giving an illusion of motion, consisting of a slitted drum that, when whirled, shows a succession of images placed opposite the slits within the drum as one moving image.

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zoetrope British  

/ ˈzəʊɪˌtrəʊp /

noun

1. a cylinder-shaped toy with a sequence of pictures on its inner surface which, when viewed through the vertical slits spaced regularly around it while the toy is rotated, produce an illusion of animation

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Etymology

Origin of zoetrope

1865–70; irregular < Greek zōḗ life + tropḗ turn

Example Sentences

We offer our sincere apologies to the critics involved and to Francis Ford Coppola and American Zoetrope for this inexcusable error in our vetting process.

From Salon • Aug. 21, 2024

He’s president of his father’s San Francisco-based film company, American Zoetrope.

From Seattle Times • Apr. 12, 2024

Lucas’ mentor, director Francis Ford Coppola — who had backed “THX 1138” through his American Zoetrope production company — encouraged him to make something else.

From Los Angeles Times • Aug. 9, 2023

During his time at Zoetrope, Luddy supervised a revival of Abel Gance’s 1927 epic “Napoleon,” which played around the world, among numerous other projects in support of foreign and archival films.

From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 14, 2023

The strip when examined by means of the Zoetrope furnished a reproduction of the horse's movements.

From Marvels of Modern Science by Severing, Paul