gyro

Where does the word "gyro" come from? It comes from Greek gyros, and was adopted directly into English (1970s).

Gyro’s story begins in Greek: gyros meant “a turn, a circle.” Literally a turn, a circle, describing meat roasted on a rotating vertical spit. It reached English by 1970s as gyro. Greek 'turn', from the rotating spit. Today, gyro means a Greek dish of spit-roasted meat served in flatbread with vegetables and sauce.

1. Stage 1 · Greek · 1900s gyros "a turn, a circle", literally a turn, a circle, describing meat roasted on a rotating vertical spit.
2. Stage 2 · English · 1970s gyro "a Greek sandwich of spit-roasted meat in flatbread", Greek 'turn', from the rotating spit.