gyre

[ jahyuhr ]

noun

1. a ring or circle.
2. a circular course or motion.
3. Oceanography. a ringlike system of ocean currents rotating clockwise in the Northern Hemisphere and counterclockwise in the Southern Hemisphere.

gyre

/ dʒaɪə /

noun

1. a circular or spiral movement or path
2. a ring, circle, or spiral

verb

1. intr to whirl

gyre

/ jīr /

1. A spiral oceanic surface current driven primarily by the global wind system and constrained by the continents surrounding the three ocean basins (Atlantic, Pacific, and Indian). Each ocean basin has a large gyre in the subtropical region, centered around 30° north and south latitude. Smaller gyres occur at 50° north latitude in the North Atlantic and Pacific Oceans. The direction of a gyre's rotation is determined by the prevailing winds in the region, with the large subtropical gyres rotating clockwise in the Northern Hemisphere and counterclockwise in the Southern Hemisphere.

Other Words From

• sub·gyre noun
• super·gyre noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of gyre¹

1560–70; < Latin gȳrus < Greek gŷros ring, circle

Word History and Origins

Origin of gyre¹

C16: from Latin gӯrus circle, from Greek guros

Example Sentences

And it eventually became a much-needed daily dose of serenity to keep the widening gyre of anxiety at bay.

From Los Angeles Times

Watching the gyre of emotions on campuses from Connecticut to California, those words feel as if they could have been written this week.

From Seattle Times

They were carried to the South Pacific by the South Pacific gyre, a circular ocean current.

From National Geographic

As Carelli proceeds through the events leading up to that night, the gyre of his investigation widens, and Joan takes up less and less space in the story of her own death.

From New York Times

Similarly a recent study found that the lake’s waters contain microplastic concentrations higher than those observed in ocean gyres — systems of ocean currents notorious for accumulating plastic waste.

From Los Angeles Times