spinning top

It moved past them at a walking pace, with an odd, irregular bob and swerve like a spinning top.

The spinning top is a beautiful illustration of this principle.

The earth's axis "precesses," however, just as does that of a spinning top.

The latter is but a small piece of iron magnetised; the former is nothing more than a spinning-top.

So Billie picked up the spinning top and put it on the bear's broad, flat paw.

"I'd buy a spinning top, Uncle Wiggily," said the little squirrel boy, very quickly.