somersault

noun

som·​er·​sault ˈsə-mər-ˌsȯlt How to pronounce somersault (audio)
variants or less commonly
: a movement (as in gymnastics) in which a person turns forward or backward in a complete revolution along the ground or in the air bringing the feet over the head
also : a falling or tumbling head over heels
somersault intransitive verb

Examples of somersault in a Sentence

The gymnast turned a somersault.
Recent Examples on the Web Moreover, some maneuvers, such as flips and somersaults, are especially associated with risk of head and cervical spine injury. Katia Hetter, CNN, 17 Sep. 2024 Those hopes came crashing down during our second exercise: backward somersaults. Jamie Ducharme, TIME, 10 Sep. 2024 Biles is the only woman to do a double pike, a double somersault with her body in a piked position, in competition. USA TODAY, 21 July 2024 Another TikTok user posted a video that showed a person gearing up for a floor routine, and instead performing a simple somersault and half a cartwheel. Kalhan Rosenblatt, NBC News, 5 Aug. 2024 See all Example Sentences for somersault 

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'somersault.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Middle French sombresaut leap, ultimately from Latin super over + saltus leap, from salire to jump — more at over, sally

First Known Use

circa 1530, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of somersault was circa 1530

Dictionary Entries Near somersault

Cite this Entry

“Somersault.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/somersault. Accessed 8 Oct. 2024.

Kids Definition

somersault

1 of 2 noun
som·​er·​sault
ˈsəm-ər-ˌsȯlt
: a leap or roll in which a person turns heels over head

somersault

2 of 2 verb
: to perform a somersault
Etymology

from early French sombresaut "somersault," derived from Latin super "over" and saltus "leap," from salire "to jump" — related to resilient

More from Merriam-Webster on somersault

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