yoyo

Noun

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. A volatile market that moves up and down.
3. (informal) 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. (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.

See all 7 meanings of yo-yo