A
top is a
toy designed to be spun rapidly on the ground, the motion of which causes it to remain precisely balanced on its tip because of
inertia. Such toys have existed since
antiquity. Traditionally tops were constructed of
wood, sometimes with an
iron tip, and would be set in motion by aid of a
string or
rope coiled around its axis which, when pulled quickly, caused a rapid unwinding that would set the top in motion. Today they are often built of
plastic, and modern materials and manufacturing processes allow tops to be constructed with such precise balance that they can be set in motion by a simple twist of the fingers and twirl of the wrist without need for string or rope.