Definition of "whirligig" in English

noun

1. Anything that whirls or spins around, such as a toy top or a merry-go-round.

2. A device incorporating spinning, wind-driven propellers or pinwheels, used as whimsical outdoor decoration in a garden or on a porch.

3. Ellipsis of whirligig beetle.

4. (historical) A device for punishing prisoners, comprising a wooden cage that rapidly spins around to induce nausea.