teetotum
[ tee-toh-tuh m ]
/ tiˈtoʊ təm /
noun
any small top spun with the fingers.
a kind of die having four sides, each marked with a different initial letter, spun with the fingers in an old game of chance.
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
Words nearby teetotum
teething troubles,
teethridge,
teetotal,
teetotaler,
teetotalism,
teetotum,
teevee,
tef,
teff,
tefillah,
tefillin
Example sentences from the Web for teetotum
British Dictionary definitions for teetotum
teetotum
/ (tiːˈtəʊtəm) /
noun archaic
a spinning top bearing letters of the alphabet on its four sides
such a top used as a die in gambling games
Word Origin for teetotum
C18: from
T totum, from
T initial inscribed on one of the faces +
totum the name of the toy, from Latin
tōtum the whole