🎪 A spinning toy 🔫 A small bullet

diabolo

1 9.9

A juggling toy with an hourglass-shaped spool spun on a string between two sticks

noun
/diˈæbələʊ/

: diábolo

Learning to balance the diabolo on the string takes patience and practice.

Examples

He amazed the crowd with his diabolo tricks at the festival.
He practiced with his diabolo every day.
She bought a colorful diabolo as a souvenir from the circus show.
Do you know how to use a diabolo?
The performer expertly twirled the diabolo on the string, impressing the audience with his skill.
At the park, children laughed as they took turns learning to spin the diabolo under the watchful eye of their instructor.
She brought her diabolo to the festival, where many spectators stopped to watch her amazing tricks.

Synonyms

whirligig

vsdiabolo

1 8.6

A small toy that spins quickly on a point like a top

is spun on a string stretched between two sticks rather than on a point

spinning top

vsdiabolo

1 1.3

A small toy that turns quickly on a sharp point

is spun on a string stretched between two sticks, not on a tip

peg top

vsdiabolo

7.6

A wooden toy shaped like a pear with a metal point you spin with a string

is spun on a string stretched between two sticks rather than on a tip

Surface Forms

diabolo singular

diabolos plural

Etymology

Diabolo comes from Greek parts dia- 'across' and ballo 'to throw', so it literally suggests 'to throw across', which fits the toy you spin and toss along a string.