Teetotum

3 definitions found

From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 [gcide]:

  Tee-to-tum \Tee-to"-tum\, n. [Cf. {Teetotaler}.]
     A workingmen's resort conducted under religious influences as
     a counteractant to the drinking saloon. [Colloq. or Cant]
     [Webster 1913 Suppl.]

From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 [gcide]:



  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.
     [1913 Webster]
  
           The staggerings of the gentleman . . . were like those
           of a teetotum nearly spent.              --Dickens.
     [1913 Webster]

From WordNet (r) 2.0 [wn]:

  teetotum
       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}]