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

He welcomed aspiring filmmakers off the streets of San Francisco and into his American Zoetrope headquarters, a hive of chaos and creativity.

From Los Angeles Times • Nov. 28, 2023

The two were out-of-work actresses when they were hired by Francis Coppola’s Zoetrope company to write a prospective TV spoof for the Bicentennial.

From Los Angeles Times • Jan. 30, 2023

The Zoetrope was a toy familiar to children; it was sometimes called the wheel of life.

From Marvels of Modern Science by Severing, Paul