whip top
- noun
:
peonza
- The museum displayed an old-fashioned whip top among other vintage toys.
Examples
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He showed the children how to spin the whip top by lashing it with a string.
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My grandfather used to make wooden whip tops for us when we were kids.
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The child played with a whip top in the backyard.
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Can you show me how to use a whip top?
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The children took turns striking the whip top to see whose could spin the longest.
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With a quick flick of the wrist, he sent the whip top spinning across the wooden floor.
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During recess, they competed to see who could make their whip top spin faster.
Synonyms
81
1.8
A small toy that spins on a point
1
8.4
A small toy that spins quickly in the wind
1
1.3
A small toy that turns quickly on a sharp point
A toy top you make spin by hitting it with a short cord
A small toy that spins quickly on a point like a top
A wooden toy shaped like a pear with a metal point you spin with a string
A spinning toy that makes a soft buzzing sound when it moves
Surface Forms
Morphology
The meaning 'a spinning toy set in motion by striking it with a whip' is directly derivable from combining 'whip' (an instrument for striking) with 'top' (a spinning toy). This is a straightforward nominal composition where the first element specifies how the top is operated, so a B1 learner who knows both words would readily infer the MWE's meaning.
Etymology
The noun whip top comes from an old child's toy: a wooden top that is set spinning by striking it with a short whip or by pulling a tight string. So the name describes how the toy starts, which is why it means 'a spinning toy started by striking it'.