# yo-yo

> English word · Noun · IPA /ˈjəʊ.jəʊ/

## Definitions
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. 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. A foolish, annoying or incompetent person.

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

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/yo-yo