yo-yo

Photograph of a national yo-yo champion in Chico, California

Formerly a trademark. Most likely from Ilocano yóyo.

• (UK) IPA^(key): /ˈjəʊ.jəʊ/
• Rhymes: -əʊ
• (US) IPA^(key): /ˈjoʊ.joʊ/

• Audio (US)

  (file)

yo-yo (plural yo-yos)

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.

   I bought a yo-yo from the toy store yesterday.

2. (finance) A volatile market that moves up and down.
3. (informal) Someone who vacillates.
4. (informal) A foolish, annoying or incompetent person.

   It is hard to watch the management for very long and not conclude that the place is run by a bunch of yo-yos.

yo-yo (third-person singular simple present yo-yos, present participle yo-yoing, simple past and past participle yo-yoed)

1. (intransitive) To vacillate; to move up and down.
   • 1990, The Economist (volume 316, page 93)

     The yo-yoing stockmarket whizzed back up by around a quarter and then started to fall again.

• yo-yo dieting

• diabolo
• whirligig