gyrocompass
/ˈdʒaɪroʊˌkʌmpəs/
noun
- A compass that uses a spinning gyroscope to find true north, rather than magnetic north, commonly used on ships and aircraft.
- The submarine's gyrocompass helped it navigate without surfacing.
- The ship's gyrocompass pointed to true north even when the magnetic compass was unreliable.
- Navigators rely on the gyrocompass for accurate direction in polar regions.