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dreidel

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noun drei·del \ ˈdrā-dᵊl \

variants: or less commonly dreidl

Definition of dreidel

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 was our Word of the Day on 12/24/2016. Hear the podcast!

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Recent Examples of dreidel from the Web

Without the moon, our planet would likely wobble about like a dreidel, tilting a full 10 degrees every 10,000 years, and possibly oscillating the global climate between ice ages and hellish heat the likes of which no species has ever endured.

— ferris jabr, Smithsonian, "How Moonlight Sets Nature’s Rhythms," 22 June 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'dreidel.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Illustration of dreidel

Origin and Etymology of dreidel

Yiddish dreydl, from dreyen to turn, from Middle High German drǣjen, from Old High German drāen — more at ¹throw

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First Known Use: 1916

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Learn More about dreidel

See words that rhyme with dreidel Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about dreidel

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dreid

dreidel

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