whirligig
whirligig · whirligigs
вертушка
Anything that whirls or spins around, such as a toy top or a merry-go-roundAnything that whirls or spins around, such as a toy top or a merry-go-round.
UK/ˈwɜː.lɪ.ɡɪɡ/US/ˈwɝ.lɪ.ɡɪɡ/
Meaning
3 sensesAnything that whirls or spins around, such as a toy top or a merry-go-round.
вертушкаvertuška
A device incorporating spinning, wind-driven propellers or pinwheels, used as whimsical outdoor decoration in a garden or on a porch.
(historical)A device for punishing prisoners, comprising a wooden cage that rapidly spins around to induce nausea.
More definitions
- a conical child's plaything tapering to a steel point on which it can be made to spin
- a large, rotating machine with seats for children to ride on for amusement
Translations
2 languagesРусский
By meaning 1
anything that whirls or spins around, such as a toy:
Origin
From Middle English whyrlegygge; equivalent to whirl (noun or verb) + gig (“a top”).From Middle English whyrlegygge; equivalent to whirl (noun or verb) + gig (“a top”).
Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0 · source
Forms
plural: whirligigsSynonyms
7 synonymsClose in meaning
- a conical child's plaything tapering to a steel point on which it can be made to spin:topteetotumspinning top
- a large, rotating machine with seats for children to ride on for amusement:carouselcarrouselmerry-go-roundroundabout
Word family
1 related wordsDerivedwhirligig beetle