Crossword clues for teetotum
The Collaborative International Dictionary
Teetotum \Tee*to"tum\, n. [For T-totum. It was used for playing games of chance, and was four-sided, one side having the letter T on it, standing for Latin totum all, meaning, take all that is staked, whence the name. The other three sides each had a letter indicating an English or Latin word; as P meaning put down, N nothing or L. nil, H half. See Total.] A child's toy, somewhat resembling a top, and twirled by the fingers.
The staggerings of the gentleman . . . were like those
of a teetotum nearly spent.
--Dickens.
Wiktionary
n. 1 (context historical English) A toy (top) similar to a dreidel. 2 (context historical English) A working men's club conducted under religious influences, as an alternative to drinking in the saloon.
WordNet
n. a conical child's plaything tapering to a steel point on which it can be made to spin; "he got a bright red top and string for his birthday" [syn: top, whirligig, spinning top]
Wikipedia
A teetotum (or T-totum) is a form of gambling spinning top that is known across Europe from Roman times. It has a polygonal body - originally four-sided - marked with letters or numbers, which indicate the result of each spin. The name originates from Latin Totum meaning 'all' which was marked by a T on one of the four sides and indicated that the winning player could take all the played tokens.
Usage examples of "teetotum".
Building this fantastic teetotum out in space, steering it into this vast orbit, no doubt they esteemed themselves the mistresses of their universe.
With incredible swiftness the water bore me on, now spinning me round and round like a teetotum, now carrying me this way, now that, but all the time bringing me closer to the abyss.
Goose, spinning the teetotum with the enthusiasm of a hardened gamester.
Old Boy seemed well pleased at having made such a good stroke of business, and spun round on one foot like a teetotum, hallooing so loud that the wood re-echoed.
I have already told you about Miss Dorothy, generally known as Dot, Clapton, who was now installed behind the typewriter in the clerk's room, getting on with her job while turning the head of Claude Erskine-Brown, a part of his body which, at the sight of any reasonably attractive young woman, spins round like a teetotum.
A' the time we lay there it lowped and flang and capered and span like a teetotum, and whiles we could hear it skelloch as it span.