gyration

American  

[jahy-rey-shuhn] / dʒaɪˈreɪ ʃən /

noun

1. the act of gyrating; circular or spiral motion; revolution; rotation; whirling.

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gyration British  

/ dʒaɪˈreɪʃən /

noun

1. the act or process of gyrating; rotation

2. any one of the whorls of a spiral-shaped shell

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Other Word Forms

• gyrational
  adjective

Etymology

Origin of gyration

First recorded in 1605–15, gyration is from the Late Latin word gȳrātiōn- (stem of gȳrātiō ). See gyrate, -ion

Explanation

The act of turning quickly in a circle is gyration. The gyration of a whirling amusement park ride might leave your head spinning long after you get off. A hula hoop whiz is an expert at gyration, whirling the hoops around their hips, arms, and legs (maybe all at once — that's a lot of gyration!). This kind of fast, circular movement is what gyration is all about, from an old verb, gyre, "rotate or revolve." In math, a gyration is a very specific type of rotation. When a sphere rotates around a point that's not at its center, it's an example of gyration.

Example Sentences

“But with every single gyration of the market, she was very uneasy seeing her account go down,” he said.

From MarketWatch • Oct. 13, 2025

Radius of gyration, coefficient of restitution and other obscure forces cause tethered pins to fly around differently than their free-fall counterparts.

From Los Angeles Times • Nov. 21, 2023

Find the radii of gyration with respect to the x-axis, the y-axis, and the origin.

From Textbooks • Mar. 30, 2016

As the Seahawks marched to the Super Bowl this season, defensive lineman Michael Bennett danced there — if Bennett’s hip-swiveling gyration after big plays can be described as dancing.

From Seattle Times • Jan. 25, 2014

Jack broke out of his gyration and stood facing Ralph.

From "Lord of the Flies" by William Golding