teetotum Meaning, Definition & Usage

  1. noun a conical child's plaything tapering to a steel point on which it can be made to spin
    top; spinning top; whirligig.
    • he got a bright red top and string for his birthday

WordNet

Tee*to"tum noun
Etymology
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.
Definitions
  1. A child's toy, somewhat resembling a top, and twirled by the fingers.
    The staggerings of the gentleman . . . were like those of a teetotum nearly spent. Dickens.

Webster 1913