whim

American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition

1. n. A sudden or capricious idea; a fancy.
2. n. Arbitrary thought or impulse: governed by whim.
3. n. A vertical horse-powered drum used as a hoist in a mine.

Century Dictionary and Cyclopedia

1. n. 6. A pun.
2. To turn round; be seized with a whim: also with an indefinite it.
3. To turn; cause to turn; turn off or away.
4. n. An unexpected or surprising turn; a startling outcome, development, or proceeding; a prank or freak.
5. n. A sudden turn or inclination of the mind; a fancy; a caprice.
6. n. A simple machine for raising ore from mines of moderate depth. It consists of a vertical shaft carrying a drum, with arms to which horses may be attached, and by which it may be turned. The hoistingrope, passing over pulleys, is wound or unwound on the drum, according to the direction of the horses' motion. Also whimsy, whim-gin, and, in England, gin.
7. n. Hence, a mine: as, Tully Whim, in the Isle of Purbeck, England.
8. n. A round table that turns round upon a screw. Synonyms and Prank, etc. (see freak), humor, crotchet, quirk, whimsy, vagary.
9. n. The brow of a hill.
10. n. The widgeon or whewer, Mareca penelope. See whew-duck.

Wiktionary

1. n. A fanciful impulse, or whimsical idea
2. n. A large capstan or vertical drum turned by horse power or steam power, for raising ore or water, etc, from mines, or for other purposes

GNU Webster's 1913

1. n. The European widgeon.
2. n. A sudden turn or start of the mind; a temporary eccentricity; a freak; a fancy; a capricious notion; a humor; a caprice.
3. n. A large capstan or vertical drum turned by horse power or steam power, for raising ore or water, etc., from mines, or for other purposes; -- called also whim gin, and whimsey.
4. v. To be subject to, or indulge in, whims; to be whimsical, giddy, or freakish.

WordNet 3.0

1. n. a sudden desire
2. n. an odd or fanciful or capricious idea