whirligig

Estimated CEFR level: C2 — Proficiency

Estimated from word frequency; not an official CEFR classification.

Definition

noun a conical child's plaything tapering to a steel point on which it can be made to spin
noun a large, rotating machine with seats for children to ride or amusement
verb whirl or spin like a whirligig

From Middle English whyrlegygge; equivalent to whirl (noun or verb) + gig (“a top”).

Whirligigs for the Amir, O Lor'! — The Works of Rudyard Kipling: One Volume Edition, Rudyard Kipling
Whirligigs for the Amir, O Lor’! — The Phantom 'Rickshaw, and Other Ghost Stories, Rudyard Kipling
Walks with Rachel--a whirligig of streets, faces, words. — Erik Dorn, Ben Hecht

top, teetotum, spinning top

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