dreidel
Americannoun
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
Etymology
Origin of dreidel
1925–30; < Yiddish dreydl, equivalent to drey ( en ) to rotate, turn (< Middle High German dræ ( je ) n, dræhen; compare G. drehen ) + -dl noun suffix
Explanation
One fun Hanukkah tradition is playing with a dreidel, a small top with Hebrew letters on each of its four sides. Dreidel is also the name of the game played with this kind of top — and winners are often rewarded with the most chocolate coins. For generations, a common prize for being the luckiest dreidel spinner has been actual money, coins referred to as Hanukkah gelt. Candy makers invented the newer tradition of chocolate versions covered in gold foil. To play with a dreidel, you spin it, and depending which side lands facing up, you either lose game pieces or take them from the pot in the center. The Yiddish root, dreyen, means "to turn."
Vocabulary lists containing dreidel
It's Lit: Hanukkah Words
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Muffled
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"A Place at the Table" by Saadia Faruqi and Laura Shovan, Chapters 25–34
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
My Jewish cousin even gave me a dreidel – though it wasn’t made of clay.
From Salon ● Dec. 28, 2023
Normally the holiday is about fun for kids, with gifts and dreidel songs.
From New York Times ● Dec. 14, 2023
The arrival of Hanukkah also brought joy, with its mix of fried foods — potato latkes and doughnuts — plus candles, gifts and the spinning-top game dreidel.
From Washington Post ● Dec. 18, 2022
Other traditions that have become ubiquitous with the Festival of Lights include gift exchanges, dreidel games, chocolate coins and gelt, potato latkes and other fried foods.
From Fox News ● Nov. 28, 2021
Six hours later we’re in the Roths’ living room watching their twin sons play a game with a wooden top called a dreidel.
From "A Mango-Shaped Space" by Wendy Mass
Using blue and white lights or incorporating Jewish symbols like illuminated dreidels or Stars of David allows families to celebrate their traditions while connecting with their neighbors.
From Los Angeles Times ● Dec. 17, 2024
The blue packaging is decorated with dreidels and the quip: "Enough to last 8 days!*Ok, not an actual guarantee. Oye! Now call your mother."
From Salon ● Dec. 26, 2022
Paper lanterns decorated with menorahs and dreidels hang among Star of David ornaments and paper snowflakes over the bars.
From Washington Post ● Dec. 10, 2021
Musical menorahs entered the market starting in the 1950s, soon followed by Hanukkah sticker books and gelt-filled dreidels.
From New York Times ● Nov. 26, 2021
It’s the night of the holiday concert, when we sing about Santa and dreidels and Kwanzaa.
From "Fish in a Tree" by Lynda Mullaly Hunt
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
