Japanese Babylon shell; Japanese ivory shell
A species of sea snail (Babylonia japonica). Used in cooking and traditionally for making spinning tops.
Grilled Babylon shell is great with sake.
spinning top (made from a Babylon shell)
Abbreviation of 貝独楽 (ばいごま). Refers to a traditional spinning top crafted from a Babylon shell.
See also: ベーゴマ
Children in the old days often played with spinning tops made from Babylon shells.
shell money
kanji 'shell' radical (154)
Middendorf's whelk
Usually written in kana; the kanji form 貝 is rare for this word.
Hiragana spelling, also common.
Kanji form is rarely used; may be confused with かい (shell).
The word is of uncertain origin, possibly from the shell's name. The spinning top sense is an abbreviation of 貝独楽.