whipping top
Noun: A whipping top is a type of spinning top that is set and kept in motion by being struck repeatedly with a whip or lash. It is a traditional toy.
The term "whipping top" is used to specify a particular kind of top, distinguishing it from other types (like a peg top or a humming top). It refers to the toy itself. * The children took turns trying to spin the whipping top. * A traditional whipping top requires skill to operate.
The term is primarily historical or descriptive of traditional toys. In modern contexts, the simpler word "top" is more common, with "whipping top" used for specificity. * The museum's collection of historical toys includes a 19th-century whipping top with its original whip.
- Top (noun): The general term for a toy that spins on its point. A whipping top is a subtype.
- Whip (verb/noun): The action and the tool used to spin the top.
- Spinning top
- Whip top
There are no common idioms or phrasal verbs specifically using the compound term "whipping top." The word "top" itself appears in idioms like "sleep like a top" (to sleep very soundly).
- a top that is spun by whipping