zoetrope

[ zoh-ee-trohp ]

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.

zoetrope

/ 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

Word History and Origins

Origin of zoetrope¹

1865–70; irregular < Greek zōḗ life + tropḗ turn

Word History and Origins

Origin of zoetrope¹

C19: Greek zoe life + trope 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

Lionsgate has a long-standing relationship with Coppola and his American Zoetrope banner, having previously handled home entertainment releases of his “Apocalypse Now Final Cut,” “The Conversation,” “The Cotton Club Encore,” “Tucker: The Man and His Dream” and “One From the Heart: Reprise.”

From Los Angeles Times

He’s president of his father’s San Francisco-based film company, American Zoetrope.

From Seattle Times

A former editor of Zoetrope magazine, she co-wrote the 2019 horticultural guide “Fruit Trees for Every Garden” — hardly the product of a fatalist.

From Los Angeles Times

Deep in debt, he oversaw the dissolution of Zoetrope as he knew it.

From Los Angeles Times