/drayd"l/ , n. , pl. dreidels, dreidel .
a four-sided top bearing the Hebrew letters nun, gimel, he, and shin, one on each side, used chiefly in a children's game traditionally played on the Jewish festival of Hanukkah.
[ 1925-30; dreydl, equiv. to drey ( en ) to rotate, turn ( drae ( je ) n, draehen; cf. G. drehen ) + -dl n. suffix ]