gyro

A gyro is either a tool designed to stabilize compasses and other navigation systems — or it’s the name for a delicious sandwich. Just make sure you don’t get these two kinds of gyros confused!

Gyro is frequently used as shorthand for gyroscope, a device that can determine the direction or speed of an attached object. When the word is pronounced YEE-roh, you’ve got an entirely different gryo, a Greek sandwich made with roasted meat and sauce (and sometimes French fries) stuffed into a round pita pocket. Both meanings have the same Greek root, gyros, “a circle.”