cartwheel

American  

[kahrt-hweel, -weel] / ˈkɑrtˌʰwil, -ˌwil /

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.

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verb (used without object)

1. to roll forward end over end.

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

cartwheel British  

/ 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

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Other Word Forms

• cartwheeler noun

Etymology

Origin of cartwheel

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

Example Sentences

“Let’s go, team,” Jonah muttered under his breath, because the tone of Katherine’s words made them sound like they should be accompanied by cartwheels and splits and arms thrown victoriously up in the air.

From Literature

An acrobatic closing section featuring a backflip, aerial twist and a one-armed cartwheel captivated the crowd, who cheered wildly.

From Barron's

There were no cartwheels or laps of honour after the final whistle.

From BBC

An acrobatic closing section featuring a backflip and a one-armed cartwheel did not impress the judges enough as he scored 98.00 -- more than 12 points off the personal best he achieved at last year's worlds.

From Barron's

Using Elsie's attitude to cartwheeling as an example, her dad David Stancombe adds: "When she was focused on something, she was determined to master it."

From BBC