autogiro

noun

au·to·gi·ro | \ ˌȯ-tō-ˈjī-(ˌ)rō

variants: or autogyro

plural autogiros

Definition of autogiro

: a rotary-wing aircraft that employs a propeller for forward motion and a freely rotating rotor for lift

Recent Examples on the Web

Gyrocopters: 1939 to 1940s The autogiro, a single-person helicopter-ish vehicle, was invented in the early 1920s by a Spanish engineer named Juan de law Cierva. — Popular Mechanics Editors, Popular Mechanics, "12 Geeky Ways to Deliver Mail: U.S. Postal Service Technology Through the Ages," 18 Jan. 2019 The Autogyro Spanish engineer Juan de la Cierva invented and first flew his autogiro in Madrid in January 1923. — Alex Davies, WIRED, "The Machines We Took From Our Former Colonial Overlords and Made Better," 3 July 2014

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