dreidel

American  

[dreyd-l] / ˈdreɪd l /

noun

plural

dreidels, dreidel

1. a four-sided top bearing the Hebrew letters nun, gimel, he, and shin, one on each side, used chiefly in a children's game traditionally played on the Jewish festival of Hanukkah.

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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."

Example Sentences

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

There was ginger beer everywhere, and half of a broken bottle spun like a dreidel on the kitchen floor.

From Salon • Dec. 23, 2021

As she expanded her business, she focused on Hanukkah, making neon dreidel leggings and a cold-shoulder dreidel top that she wore to get her coronavirus booster shot.

From New York Times • Nov. 26, 2021

Trestan said he was told by Antonucci that the words "rabbi" and "dreidel" were also used in Duxbury's March 12 game against Plymouth North.

From Fox News • Mar. 24, 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