whirligig
Americannoun
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something that whirls or revolves.
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a whirling motion or course.
the whirligig of fashion.
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a giddy or flighty person.
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Dialect. a merry-go-round or carrousel.
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a toy for whirling or spinning, as a top.
noun
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any spinning toy, such as a top
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another name for merry-go-round
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anything that whirls about, spins, or moves in a circular or giddy way
the whirligig of social life
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another name for windmill
Etymology
Origin of whirligig
First recorded in 1400–50, whirligig is from the late Middle English word whirlegigge. See whirl, gig 3
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.
"We've got damselflies and dragonflies, little water boatmen, whirligig beetles, water scorpions and because of all of them, we get all the birds that feed off them," he says.
From BBC • Feb. 1, 2024
But, “To really demonstrate if whirligig beetles are using lift, it’s necessary to deeply investigate the fluid dynamics,” not just track the movement of their legs, he cautions.
From Science Magazine • Jan. 8, 2024
Using two high-speed cameras synchronized at different angles, the researchers were able to film a whirligig and observe a lift-based thrust mechanism at play.
From Science Daily • Jan. 8, 2024
Each chose one college but switched to another after the first choice took a turn on the old coaching-change whirligig.
From Washington Post • Sep. 28, 2018
One whirligig was meant to be a thunderstorm and it was so like one, black and gray, beautiful and frightening.
From "Missing May" by Cynthia Rylant
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.
