Dreydl

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A four-sided spinning top traditionally played with during certain Jewish holidays, where each side bears a symbol representing different aspects of the festival
2. A toy commonly used in games of chance, especially during Hanukkah, which features distinct letters representing Hebrew words
3. A small, rotating object used in traditional holiday games, often made of wood or plastic and marked with various symbols for gameplay

Etymology: The four-sided top itself is ancient in form, but its name comes from a Yiddish blend. The Yiddish "dreydl" is probably a fusion of two words: "dreyen," meaning "to spin, turn or twist," and "trendl," an older Yiddish word for a spinning top. Both trace back to deep Germanic roots. "Dreyen" descends from a Proto-Germanic verb meaning "to turn or twist," which itself goes back to a Proto-Indo-European root for turning and drilling, while "trendl" comes from a Proto-Germanic word meaning "to revolve, spin." The most common popular story is that the letters on the top's four sides form an acronym for "a great miracle happened there" (or "here"), referring to the oil that lasted eight days in the Temple. That explanation is folk etymology, not the true origin. The letters actually stand for Yiddish words that give instructions for the game: nisht ("nothing"), gants ("all"), halb ("half") and shtel arayn ("put in"), so the game's rules are written into the top itself.