Definition of GYRATION

gyration

Meanings

Plural: gyrations

Noun

  • a single complete turn (axial or orbital)
  • the act of rotating in a circle or spiral
  • The act of turning or whirling, especially around a fixed axis or centre; a circular or spiral motion; rotation.
  • The act of turning or whirling, especially around a fixed axis or centre; a circular or spiral motion; rotation.
  • A rotation around an axis which is not the centre of rotational symmetry; an eccentric or off-centre rotation.
  • One of the whorls of a spiral univalve shell.
  • The arrangement of convolutions of gyri in the cerebral cortex of the brain.

Origin / Etymology

From gyre (“to spin around; to gyrate, to whirl; (rare) to make (something) spin or whirl around; to spin, to whirl”) + -ation (suffix indicating actions or processes). Gyre is from Late Middle English giren (“to turn (something) away; to cause (something) to revolve or rotate; to travel in a circle”), from Old French girer (“to turn”), and directly from its etymon Latin gȳrāre, the present active infinitive of gȳrō (“to turn in a circle, rotate; to circle or revolve around”) (from gȳrus (“circle; circular motion; circuit, course”), from Ancient Greek γῦρος (gûros, “a circle, a ring”), from Proto-Indo-European *gew- (“to bend; to curve”)) + -ō (suffix forming regular first-conjugation verbs).

Scrabble Score: 12

gyration is a valid Scrabble (US) TWL word
gyration is a valid Scrabble Word in Merriam-Webster MW Dictionary
gyration is a valid Scrabble Word in International Collins CSW Dictionary

Words With Friends Score: 13

gyration is a valid Words With Friends word