whirligig

noun

Etymology: From Middle English whyrlegygge; equivalent to whirl (noun or verb) + gig (“a top”).

1. Anything that whirls or spins around, such as a toy top or a merry-go-round.
2. A device incorporating spinning, wind-driven propellers or pinwheels, used as whimsical outdoor decoration in a garden or on a porch.
3. Ellipsis of whirligig beetle.
4. A device for punishing prisoners, comprising a wooden cage that rapidly spins around to induce nausea.