whirl·i·gig

(wûr′lĭ-gĭg′, hwûr′-)

1. Any of various spinning toys.

2. A carousel; a merry-go-round.

3. Something that continuously whirls.

4. A whirligig beetle.

[Middle English whirlegigge : whirlen, whirl; see whirl + -gigge, something that rotates (possibly of Scandinavian origin; akin to gig).]

American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

whirligig

(ˈwɜːlɪˌɡɪɡ)

1. (Other Non-sporting Hobbies) any spinning toy, such as a top

2. another name for merry-go-round

3. anything that whirls about, spins, or moves in a circular or giddy way: the whirligig of social life.

4. (Other Non-sporting Hobbies) another name for windmill³

[C15: whirlegigge, from whirl + gig¹]

Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014

whirl•i•gig

(ˈʰwɜr lɪˌgɪg, ˈwɜr-)

n.

1. something that whirls or revolves.

2. a whirling motion or course.

3. a flighty person.

4. a merry-go-round; carousel.

5. a toy for whirling or spinning, as a top.

Also called whirl•a•bout (ˈʰwɜrl əˌbaʊt)

[1400–50; late Middle English whirlegigge. See whirl, gig¹]

ThesaurusAntonymsRelated WordsSynonymsLegend:

Noun	1.	whirligig - 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" spinning top, teetotum, top humming top - a top that makes a humming noise as it spins peg top - a pear-shaped top made of wood with a metal center pin plaything, toy - an artifact designed to be played with whip top, whipping top - a top that is spun by whipping
	2.	whirligig - a large, rotating machine with seats for children to ride or amusement carousel, carrousel, merry-go-round, roundabout ride - a mechanical device that you ride for amusement or excitement
Verb	1.	whirligig - whirl or spin like a whirligig spin, spin around, gyrate, reel, whirl - revolve quickly and repeatedly around one's own axis; "The dervishes whirl around and around without getting dizzy"

Translations

chenille

trottola

карусель

whirligig

[ˈwɜːlɪgɪg] N

1. (= toy) → molinete m

2. (= merry-go-round) → tiovivo m

3. (also whirligig beetle) → girino m

4. (fig) → vicisitudes fpl; (= confusion) → movimiento m confuso

Collins Spanish Dictionary - Complete and Unabridged 8th Edition 2005 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1971, 1988 © HarperCollins Publishers 1992, 1993, 1996, 1997, 2000, 2003, 2005

whirligig

n (= top) → Kreisel m; (= roundabout) → Karussell nt, → Ringelspiel nt; (fig) → (ewiges) Wechselspiel nt

Collins German Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged 7th Edition 2005. © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1980 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1997, 1999, 2004, 2005, 2007

Mentioned in

References in classic literature

While the Miss Schlegels were together he had felt them scarcely human--a sort of admonitory whirligig. But a Miss Schlegel alone was different.

View in context

I was aboard of one of Rodney’s fleet, dye see, about the time we licked De Grasse, Mounsheer Lor Quaw’s countryman, there; and the wind was here at the south’ard and east'ard; and I was below, mixing a toothful of hot stuff for the captain of marines, who dined, dye see, in the cabin, that there very same day; and I suppose he wanted to put out the captain’s fire with a gun-room ingyne; and so, just as I got it to my own liking, after tasting pretty often, for the soldier was difficult to please, slap came the foresail agin’ the mast, whiz went the ship round on her heel, like a whirligig. And a lucky thing was it that our helm was down; for as she gathered starnway she paid off, which was more than every ship in the fleet did, or could do.

View in context

But what mainly occasioned a righteous indignation was, that the scoundrelly popinjay, while he cut a fandango here, and a whirligig there, did not seem to have the remotest idea in the world of such a thing as keeping time in his steps.

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First, the big dog, barking at intervals; then the good-natured Irishman, trundling "that divil of a whirligig," as he disrespectfully called the idolized velocipede; then the wounded hero, supported by the helpful Polly; and Maud brought up the rear in tears, bearing Tom's cap.

View in context

"Prascovia," began the Grandmother, "is what I have just heard through a side wind true--namely, that this fool of a stepfather of yours is going to marry that silly whirligig of a Frenchwoman--that actress, or something worse?

View in context

Oh, well-a-day and lack-a-day, the whirligig of time and fortune, the topsyturviness of luck, the wooden shoe going up and the polished heel descending a French gunboat, a conquered island kingdom of Oceania, to-day ruled over by a peasant-born, unlettered, colonial gendarme, and .

View in context

"Come; explain to me quickly what is the meaning of this little whirligig, so delicately wrought that it might be a plaything for Queen Mab.

View in context

The tears were all gone, however, and she was watching the hill and island answer each other with what Jamie called "whizzers, whirligigs and busters," and smiling as she thought how hard the boys must be working to keep up such a steady fire, when Uncle Mac came walking in upon her, saying hurriedly

View in context

In his hand he swayed a ferule, that sceptre of despotic power; the birch of justice reposed on three nails behind the throne, a constant terror to evil doers, while on the desk before him might be seen sundry contraband articles and prohibited weapons, detected upon the persons of idle urchins, such as half-munched apples, popguns, whirligigs, fly-cages, and whole legions of rampant little paper game-cocks.

View in context

The evening ceilidh kicks of at 7pm led by ceilidh group Whirligig who feature Gavin Marwick (fiddle), Ruth Morris (fiddle/nyckelharpa and dance calling) and Pete Garnett (accordion).

Don't miss Day of Dance in Dumfries

What sort of creature is a whirligig? A A shrew B An Australian frog C A water beetle D Amoth

General Knowledge Quiz

A killer who chopped off his teenage girlfriend's head with a whirligig clothes pole has died in hospital.

WHIRLIGIG KILLER DIES; Victim's dad tells of relief that Fairnie will never be released