cartwheel

[ kahrt-hweel, -weel ]

noun

1. the wheel of a cart.
2. an acrobatic feat in which a person starts from a standing position, with arms extended, and wheels the body sideways, landing first on the hands and then on the feet and usually repeating this in a series.
3. Slang. any large coin, especially a U.S. silver dollar.
4. Slang. an amphetamine tablet.

verb (used without object)

1. to roll forward end over end:

   The skier took a sudden spill and cartwheeled down the slope.

cartwheel

/ ˈkɑːtˌwiːl /

noun

1. the wheel of a cart, usually having wooden spokes and metal tyres
2. an acrobatic movement in which the body makes a sideways revolution supported on the hands with arms and legs outstretched
3. slang.
   a large coin, esp the silver dollar

Other Words From

• cartwheeler noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of cartwheel¹

Middle English word dating back to 1350–1400; cart, wheel

Example Sentences

Three weeks after the first batch of images, NASA unveiled the breathtaking image of the Cartwheel galaxy.

From Science News For Students

The JWST image also identifies a contrast in textures between the core and the extremities of the Cartwheel Galaxy.

From Popular-Science

The Cartwheel Galaxy, so called because of its bright inner ring and colorful outer ring, lies about 500 million light-years from Earth.

From Science News

They roll, cartwheel or backflip and then plummet to the ground.

From Science News For Students

They roll, cartwheel or backflip and then plummet to the ground, often belly flopping or crash-landing on their backs.

From Science News

Witnesses have portrayed her as a strange cartwheel performer with bad hygiene.

From The Daily Beast

Behind the table was a smooth and perfectly round hole in the wall about the size of a cartwheel.

From Project Gutenberg

Here has been Cartwheel, your sweetheart; what will become of him?

From Project Gutenberg

Billy took everybodys attention away from him by turning an unexpected cartwheel in the middle of the floor.

From Project Gutenberg

They had been dredged up in the Isar's mud, found at a corner, dragged from under a cartwheel.

From Project Gutenberg

"There's your dollar," said the Idiot, tossing a silver cartwheel across the table.

From Project Gutenberg