teetotum

American  

[tee-toh-tuhm] / tiˈtoʊ təm /

noun

1. any small top spun with the fingers.

2. a kind of die having four sides, each marked with a different initial letter, spun with the fingers in an old game of chance.

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teetotum British  

/ tiːˈtəʊtəm /

noun

1. a spinning top bearing letters of the alphabet on its four sides

2. such a top used as a die in gambling games

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Etymology

Origin of teetotum

1710–20; earlier T totum, alteration of totum name of toy (< Latin tōtum, neuter of tōtus all) by prefixing its initial letter, which appeared on one side of the toy

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

teetotum

Though no disturbance was reported last week at Brooklyn's Evergreen Cemetery, by rights Anthony Comstock should have been spinning like a teetotum in his grave.

From Time Magazine Archive

Furlong stared, and began a reply of "Weally, I cawn't say that——" When O'Grady gruffly broke in with, "You'd better ask him, does he love teetotum."

From Handy Andy, Volume One A Tale of Irish Life, in Two Volumes by Lover, Samuel

Scopperil, skop′e-ril, n. a top: teetotum: the bone-foundation of a button.

From Chambers's Twentieth Century Dictionary (part 4 of 4: S-Z and supplements) by Various

Here, Mother, where did you get this teetotum?

From Chicken Little Jane on the Big John by Ritchie, Lily Munsell

Quiet work this, none of your spasmodic Waltzes, kicking Polkas, and teetotum jigmarigs.

From A Trip to Cuba by Howe, Julia Ward