WHIRLIGIG, noun [whirl and gig.] 1. A toy which children spin or whirl round. 2. In military antiquities, an instrument for punishing petty offenders, as sutlers, brawling women, etc.; a kind of wooden cage turning on a pivot, in which the offender was whirled round with great velocity.
Source: Webster's 1828 American Dictionary ↗ · public-domain · returned verbatim, no AI