A teetotum (or T-totum) is a form of spinning top most commonly used for gambling games. It has a polygonal body marked with letters or numbers, which indicate the result of each spin.[1][2] Usage goes back to (at least) ancient Greeks and Romans, with the popular put and take gambling version going back to medieval times.[2] A perinola is a six-sided top with similar gameplay most commonly used in Latin America.
- ^ Chisholm 1911, p. 503.
- ^ a b Teetotum at the Encyclopædia Britannica