Dictionary

gyrate en · VERB · etymology 1

Pronunciation

• /ˈd͡ʒaɪˌɹeɪt/ (General-American)
• /ˈdʒaɪɹeɪt/ (Received-Pronunciation)
• (Received-Pronunciation) audio
• /d͡ʒaɪˈɹeɪt/ (General-American)
• /dʒaɪˈɹeɪt/ (Received-Pronunciation)

Etymology

Back-formation from gyration, on the basis of -ate (verb-forming suffix), 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), further 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”), from Latin gȳrō (“to turn in a circle, rotate; to circle or revolve around”), from gȳrus (“circle; circular motion; circuit, course”) + -ō (first conjugation verb-forming suffix), from Ancient Greek γῦρος (gûros, “a circle, a ring”), ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *gew- (“to bend; to curve”). By surface analysis, gyre + -ate (verb-forming suffix).

Meanings

1. (intransitive) To revolve round a central point; to move spirally about an axis, as a tornado.
   • Many companies built up pretariff inventories, and gyrating tariff rates make it tricky for retailers to set prices. 2026 January 18, Simon Montlake, “The Trump economy: No recession, but no boom either”, in The Christian Science Monitor, archived from the original on 18 Jan 2026:
   • The stripper gyrated sexily around a pole.

Forms

Deriveds

circumgyrate · gyratingly

Translations (6)

ru вращаться (to revolve round a central point; to move spirally about an axis, as a tornado — see also revolve) · ota دونمك (to revolve round a central point; to move spirally about an axis, as a tornado — see also revolve) · bg въртя се (to revolve round a central point; to move spirally about an axis, as a tornado — see also revolve) · nl ronddraaien (to revolve round a central point; to move spirally about an axis, as a tornado — see also revolve) · nl draaien (to revolve round a central point; to move spirally about an axis, as a tornado — see also revolve) · gl xirar (to revolve round a central point; to move spirally about an axis, as a tornado — see also revolve)

gyrate en · ADJ · etymology 2

Etymology

Etymology tree English gyrus Proto-Indo-European *-h₂ Proto-Indo-European *-éh₂ Proto-Indo-European *-tós Proto-Indo-European *-eh₂tos Proto-Italic *-ātos Latin -ātuslbor. English -ate English gyrate From gyrus (“fold, convolution”) + -ate (adjective-forming suffix).

Meanings

1. Having coils or convolutions.

Forms

Deriveds

laevogyrate · levogyrate · opisthogyrate · dextrogyrate · multigyrate · prosogyrate

Translations (2)

bg завит (having coils or convolutions) · bg спираловиден (having coils or convolutions)