handstand
Americannoun
-
handstands
plural
verb (used without object)
noun
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
Etymology
Origin of handstand
Explanation
When a gymnast supports her body's weight on her hands, with her legs straight up in the air, she does a handstand. It takes a great sense of balance to hold a handstand very long. You'll learn how to do a handstand in a gymnastics class, eventually even doing handstands on a balance beam or vault horse. Some yoga instructors teach handstands, and acrobatic circus performers do many varieties of the handstand. There are even dives that require a diver to start from a handstand on the diving board before plunging into the pool.
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
He said his next project would be a "handstand cheat device".
From BBC ● Apr. 23, 2025
With each handstand — extending vertically like an arrow — Esparza’s teammates roared.
From Los Angeles Times ● Feb. 15, 2025
A variation of the Weiler half, a move that is already part of Biles' routine, the new skill will include a clear hip circle forward with 1.5 turns to a handstand, per TODAY.
From Salon ● Jul. 30, 2024
"The males will do a handstand and urinate. It's a way of competing with other males."
From National Geographic ● Sep. 21, 2023
“I can do a handstand against the pillar!”
From "The City of Ember" by Jeanne DuPrau
It broke the record for consecutive, double-dutch-style handstand-skipping with two people, which involves skipping while performing handstands as ropes are turned in opposite directions.
From Reuters ● Nov. 16, 2023
From that stable foundation, you can hold handstands longer and with more control.
From Salon ● Mar. 31, 2023
Between sky-high release skills, perfectly vertical handstands and a stuck dismount, Frazier has many high-scoring elements in her bar routine that the 2021 Pac-12 bars champion needed to fine-tune before the season.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jan. 6, 2023
The character he plays can’t do handstands or hula hoop or train dogs with any dexterity.
From New York Times ● Nov. 25, 2022
The girls taught me many games my brothers did not learn from the boys—hopscotch, handstands and even walking on my hands, jump rope, and cross-clapping that went along with songs.
From "Tasting the Sky" by Ibtisam Barakat
Then, kicking away the piano bench, he goes into an old-fashioned rock-'n'-roll finale and plays standing up, kneeling down, even handstanding on the keyboard with feet high in air.
From Time Magazine Archive
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