Main Entry: drei·del

Variant(s): also dreidl \ˈdrā-d^əl\

Function: noun

Etymology: Yiddish dreydl, from dreyen to turn, from Middle High German drǣjen, from Old High German drāen — more at throw

Date: 1916

1 : a 4-sided toy marked with Hebrew letters and spun like a top in a game of chance
2 : a children's game of chance played especially at Hanukkah with a dreidel

[dreidel illustration]