spinning top
1
1.3
- noun
:
peonza
- After giving it a gentle push, the spinning top began to whirl and create a mesmerizing pattern.
There is a spinning top which is traditional.
- There is a spinning top which is traditional.
Examples
-
Plus I'm giving away items like this beautiful spinning top from War SO and other items from my videos.
-
I passed my time alone playing with a spinning top, a mallet and a ball, or walking on stilts.
Fiction book (1997) -
There is a spinning top which is traditional.
-
You my own little spinning top.
-
And a horse and a spinning top.
-
You know, spinning tops you fight with?
-
Battle-use spinning tops, enjoyed all over the world!
-
And you think, why don't all spinning tops come with a piece of string?
-
The children laughed as they watched the spinning top twirl quickly on the floor.
-
He bought a colorful spinning top for his niece, knowing it would entertain her for hours.
Synonyms
81
1.8
A small toy that spins on a point
1
3.2
A small toy you turn quickly with your fingers for fun or to help you focus
A small toy that spins quickly on a point like a top
A small spinning top used in children's games
A wooden toy shaped like a pear with a metal point you spin with a string
A toy that spins when you hit it with a string
A spinning toy that makes a soft buzzing sound when it moves
How Fast
Surface Forms
Morphology
The meaning 'a conical toy that spins' is directly derivable from combining 'spin' (to rotate) with 'top' (a toy that spins on a tip); the participial modifier 'spinning' simply describes the toy's action. This compositional pattern is common across languages and follows normal adjective/participle + noun formation, so a B1 learner who knows both words will understand the MWE.
Etymology
Spinning top is the name for a small toy that turns on a pointed tip: a top is the toy and spinning shows what it does. That's why a spinning top means 'a toy that spins'.