Definition
A spring toy consisting of a pre-compressed coil that can walk down stairs by alternately stretching and compressing, creating a hypnotic descending motion; a classic toy since the 1940s.
Example Usage
She watched in fascination as the Slinky tumbled down the staircase in a mesmerizing cascade.
Origin
Invented by Richard James in 1943 and introduced at Gimbels Department Store in Philadelphia; the name reportedly came from a dictionary search for words describing its motion.
Fun Fact
NASA has studied Slinkies in microgravity to understand wave physics, and they were actually brought aboard space shuttles for educational demonstrations.
Source: Definition backfill (hailey)
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