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

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

My heart’s doing cartwheels, but I know what I need to do.

From Literature