yo-yo

Meanings

Noun

• A toy consisting of a spheroidal or cylindrical spindle having a circular groove in which string is wound; it is used by holding the string in the fingers and reeling the spindle up and down by movements of the wrist.
• A volatile market that moves up and down.
• Someone who vacillates.
• A cloth rosette formed by gathering the outside edge of a circle of fabric in toward the centre using a running stitch.
• A foolish, annoying or incompetent person.

Verb

• To vacillate; to move up and down.

Origin

• Formerly a trademark. Most likely from Ilocano yóyo, or another cognate.