whirligig

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English

WOTD – 10 July 2008
English Wikipedia has an article on:
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Whirligig, kinetic art
Public library, O'Fallon, Illinois

Alternative forms

Etymology

Middle English whirlegigge.

Pronunciation

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  • Audio (US):(file)

Noun

whirligig (plural whirligigs)

  1. Anything that whirls or spins around, such as a toy top or a merry-go-round.
  2. A device incorporating spinning, wind-driven propellers or pinwheels, used as whimsical outdoor decoration in a garden or on a porch.
  3. A whirligig beetle.
  4. A device for punishing prisoners, comprising a wooden cage that rapidly spins around.

Quotations

  • 1600–1, William Shakespeare, Twelfth Night
    And thus the whirligig of time brings in his revenges.

Translations

See also

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