Definitions
American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
- n. A toy consisting of a flattened spool wound with string that is spun down from and reeled up to the hand by motions of the wrist.
- n. Informal One that undergoes frequent abrupt shifts or reversals, as of opinion or emotion; a vacillator.
- n. Slang A stupid or objectionable person.
- v. Informal To undergo frequent abrupt shifts or reversals, as of opinion or emotion; vacillate.
Wiktionary
- n. 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.
- n. finance A volatile market that moves up and down.
- n. informal Someone who vacillates.
- n. informal A foolish, annoying or incompetent person.
- v. intransitive To vacillate; to move up and down.
WordNet 3.0
- n. a toy consisting of a spool that is reeled up and down on a string by motions of the hand
Etymologies
- Originally a trademark. (American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition)
Examples
“When asked why officials would not give Alden another chance, Gelder said the state wanted to avoid what he termed "yo-yo" facilities: "They do a really good job when they know someone is coming to look, but yet we have problems as soon as the spotlight is turned off.”
“First, they make you feel like a loser, and then something even worse happens to so-called yo-yo dieters.”
“But this leads to a behavioral cycle in which your system “doesn’t work” or you can’t get back into a healthy mind-set—some people call it yo-yo dieting.”
“I could continue this yo-yo description of euroland affairs were it not that I will run out of good news to juxtapose against the bad.”
The Wall Street Journal: Euroland Should Prepare for More Ups and Downs in Its Yo-Yo Economy
“Kim Bensen, a lifetime yo-yo dieter who lost more than 200 pounds, currently leads motivational weight loss meetings at Calvary Church in Trumbull at 6:30, Wednesday nights.”
The Huffington Post: Kim Bensen: Samantha: One Woman's Weight Loss Journey
“A crew from the Townhall.com conservative news site gave passersby the choice of a T-shirt, a yo-yo or lip balm.”
The Washington Post: CPAC gets underway on wave of 2010 midterm momentum
“We pass the shoe market, where hundreds of shoes hang from the ceilings on strings; the purse market, hanging by purse strings; the music mart, where the rich interdental consonants of Arabic songs consume the air; the basket bazaar; a merchant unfurling a yo-yo.”
The Huffington Post: Richard Bangs: Why Would Anyone Bomb Jemaa El F'na Square in Marrakesh?
“When the final bell rang to end classes, my heart felt like a yo-yo.”
“The market's "somewhat rudderless, yo-yo like behavior" shows a lack of definite direction as earnings season starts, said Lawrence Creatura , portfolio manager at Federated Investors.”
The Wall Street Journal: Earnings Help DJIA Turn a Bad Day Good
“While tics and habits are related on a neurological level, it's simplistic to suggest that we can establish complex and difficult habits, like a rigorous, long-range diet and exercise routine, as easily as we master, say, the yo-yo.”
Lists
These user-created lists contain the word ‘yo-yo’.
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Interesting words
A list of words that are odd or words that I have looked up.
concupiscence, brize, scree, scoria, forestaff, spanaemia, valetudinarianism, distasture, pyrethrum, laudanum, gentian, bicameral and 11250 more...
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Hyphenated Repeats
Exactly reduplicated words connected by a hyphen.
aye-aye, cleek-cleek, arc-arc, killy-killy, dum-dum, tom-tom, argon-argon, carbon-carbon, win-win, lose-lose, bye-bye, choo-choo and 113 more...
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Playthings and Toys
have fun!
battledore, beanbag, bicycle, Big Wheel, crayons, boomerang, cap gun, doll, kite, jigsaw puzzle, hula hoop, jack-in-the-box and 66 more...
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Fun Words
Words that are fun to say....
gobbledygook, jings, crivens, hullabaloo, wheech, brouhaha, pizzazz, harum-scarum, namby-pamby, pussyfoot, frippery, pitter-patter and 333 more...
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indianyogi's list
double entendre
sizz-water, indian, yogi, india, yo-yo, any, ian, dia, gi, yo
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Junk
walrus, fascination, broadway, fickle, downturn, bridge, gargle, rotunda, mesh, fab, shortlife, strumming and 304 more...
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The braggadocio recipe
A selection of English* words ending with a vowel (except "y", "ea", ie", "ee", "oo", "ea", "ou") that is REALLY pronounced.
My favorite English words, by the way.
The good twin of The ...braggadocio, recipe, encyclopedia, solo, gnu, flu, maybe, apocope, mini, arrhythmia, folio, stereo and 197 more...
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Trademarks
"A trademark is any word, name, symbol, or design, or any combination thereof, used in commerce to identify and distinguish the goods of one manufacturer or seller from those of another and to indi...
Academy Award, Ace bandage, Acrilan, Addressograph, Alar, Alcian blue, Alclad, Aldis lamp, Ampakine, Amtrak, Amytal, Angostura bitters and 661 more...
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My Little Ponies
A list of My Little Pony names from the original (G1) collection. 1982-1992
cotton candy, butterscotch, blossom, blue belle, minty, snuzzle, seashell, bubbles, bow tie, applejack, sunbeam, medley and 352 more...
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Jacqueline's Words
glittery, horny, amazing, wanderlust, forlorn, lustily, nonchalant, cool, passive, submissive, roundabout, carousel and 558 more...
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Genericide
Trademarks that have lost their character as indicators of source to become a general term for a product or service.
cellophane, aspirin, butterscotch, escalator, heroin, kerosene, thermos, yo-yo, zipper, dry ice, email, freeware and 106 more...
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Let's Play
Classic Children's Toys and Games and Amusements
colorforms, jacks, hopscotch, louisville slugger, duncan imperial, flexible flyer, radio flyer, troll doll, dam doll, pick-up sticks, silly putty, marbles and 155 more...
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The things they carried (List 2)
Listening to this as an audio book for the second time. Tim O'Brien uses simple words and phrases to great effect. Very few unfamilar and big words . The writing style reminds me of words from Joh...
The, Things, They, Carried, meant, fond, By necessity,, presented to him, far beyond, against the brick..., reaching, taut and 2940 more...
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Toot Toot, Beep Beep!
chichi, tomtom, weewee, poohpooh, tutu, tsetse, ta-ta, peepee, woop woop, ack-ack, ding-ding, bon bon and 44 more...
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trademarks
kleenex, xerox, hoover, google, styrofoam, dumpster, frisbee, band-aid, klaxon, teflon, nalgene, hula-hoop and 15 more...
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No thanks, I'm on a diet
Interesting/noteworthy food intake regimens.
locavore, proxivore, opportunivore, freegan, vegan, vegetarian, fruitarian, kosher, halal, okinawa, south beach, atkins and 11 more...
Tweets
Looking for tweets for yo-yo.
madmouth I'd thought the top was Jan 3, 2010
oroboros The second oldest toy (after doll). Via Says You.
Jan 3, 2010
vanishedone As a verb: 'All went well at first, with inflation, and therefore rent rises, staying low. Over the past year, however, the RPI has yo-yoed. In 2008 it rose steadily, hitting 5 percent in September before falling back to 0.9 percent by the end of the year.' (Private Eye #1229, p.6) Feb 4, 2009
bilby A weekend hippy. Apr 3, 2008
treeseed See Duncan Imperial Jan 27, 2008