yo-yo

Meaning

Noun

1. 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.
2. A volatile market that moves up and down.
3. (informal) Someone who vacillates.
4. A dogfighting maneuver involving the attacker temporarily exchanging altitude for airspeed, or vice versa, in order to rapidly catch up with the defender or to prevent an overshoot.
5. A cloth rosette formed by gathering the outside edge of a circle of fabric in toward the centre using a running stitch.
6. (informal) A foolish, annoying or incompetent person.

Verb

To vacillate; to move up and down.

Synonyms

yoyo

Translations

yo-yo

Yo-Yo

yo-yo

yoyó

io-io

Jo-Jo

ioiô

yoyo

yo-yo

يُويُو

Jojo

yo-yo

γιογιό

Pronounced as (IPA)

/ˈjəʊ.jəʊ/

Etymology

Genericized trademark. Most likely from Ilocano yóyo, or another Philippine cognate.