Whirligig vs. Pinwheel — What's the Difference?

A whirligig is an object that spins or whirls, or has at least one part that spins or whirls. A whirligig can also be a pinwheel, spinning top, buzzer, comic weather-vane, gee-haw, spinner, whirlygig, whirlijig, whirlyjig, whirlybird, or simply a whirly.

A toy consisting of vanes of colored paper or plastic pinned to a stick so that they revolve when blown on.

Any of various spinning toys.

A firework that forms a rotating wheel of colored flames. Also called catherine wheel.

A carousel; a merry-go-round.

A wheel with a circle of pins at right angles to its face, used as a tripping device.

Something that continuously whirls.

An artificial flower with a stem, usually plastic, for children: the flower spins round in the wind, like a small paper windmill.

A whirligig beetle.

A firework which forms a kind of spinning wheel.

Anything that whirls or spins around, such as a toy top or a merry-go-round.

A cogged (toothed) gear.

A device incorporating spinning, wind-driven propellers or pinwheels, used as whimsical outdoor decoration in a garden or on a porch.

A pastry which resembles the artificial flowers above, with some filling or topping in the center.

A whirligig beetle.

Any food product consisting of layers (for example of pastry and sweet filling, or of bread and meat) rolled into a spiral, visually similar to a cinnamon roll.

(historical) A device for punishing prisoners, comprising a wooden cage that rapidly spins around to induce nausea.

(ambitransitive) To spin.

A child's toy, spun or whirled around like a wheel upon an axis, or like a top.

Perennial subshrub of Tenerife having leaves in rosettes resembling pinwheels

Anything which whirls around, or in which persons or things are whirled about, as a frame with seats or wooden horses.

Circular-shaped firework; spins round and round

A mediæval instrument for punishing petty offenders, being a kind of wooden cage turning on a pivot, in which the offender was whirled round with great velocity.

Any one of numerous species of beetles belonging to Gyrinus and allied genera. The body is firm, oval or boatlike in form, and usually dark colored with a bronzelike luster. These beetles live mostly on the surface of water, and move about with great celerity in a gyrating, or circular, manner, but they are also able to dive and swim rapidly. The larva is aquatic. Called also weaver, whirlwig, and whirlwig beetle.

A conical child's plaything tapering to a steel point on which it can be made to spin;

Large mechanical apparatus with seats for children to ride on

Whirl or spin like a whirligig