Teetotum (Noun)
Meaning
A conical child's plaything tapering to a steel point on which it can be made to spin; "he got a bright red top and string for his birthday".
Classification
Nouns denoting man-made objects.
Examples
- The teetotum whirled around in circles, its colorful sides blurring together as it spun on its metal point.
- He pulled the string and the teetotum began to spin, its narrow tip barely visible as it rotated rapidly.
- She expertly wrapped the string around the teetotum and then yanked it sharply, setting the toy spinning.
- As the teetotum spun, the bright red and blue stripes merged into a dizzying blur, hypnotizing the children.
- His grandmother brought out a small wooden teetotum and began to demonstrate the technique of making it spin.