yo|yo

yo|yo or yo-yo «YOH yoh», noun, plural -yos, verb, -yoed, -yo|ing.

–n.

1. a small toy consisting of a deeply grooved disk which is spun out and reeled in by an attached string.

2. Yo-yo, a trademark for this toy.

3. Aerospace. a wide-swinging orbit around the earth by an artificial satellite.

4. U.S. Slang. a stupid person; jerk: »

A yoyo is a gullible customer who can be sold second-hand goods as new (New York Times).

–v.i.

1. to go back and forth, as if attached to a string.

2. Figurative. to waver in mind or opinion, especially from one point of view to the other: »

There is plenty of room for debate on this point, because the Supreme Court has yoyoed on the issue of the right to travel (New York Times).

╂[American English; origin uncertain]