somersault
Americannoun
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an acrobatic movement, either forward or backward, in which the body rolls end over end, making a complete revolution.
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such a movement performed in the air as part of a dive, tumbling routine, etc.
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a complete overturn or reversal, as of opinion.
verb (used without object)
noun
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a forward roll in which the head is placed on the ground and the trunk and legs are turned over it
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a similar roll in a backward direction
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an acrobatic feat in which either of these rolls are performed in midair, as in diving or gymnastics
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a complete reversal of opinion, policy, etc
verb
Other Word Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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somersaultsimple
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somersaultssimple
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have somersaultedperfect
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has somersaultedperfect
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am somersaultingprogressive
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are somersaultingprogressive
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is somersaultingprogressive
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have been somersaultingperfect progressive
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has been somersaultingperfect progressive
Past
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somersaultedsimple
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had somersaultedperfect
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was somersaultingprogressive
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were somersaultingprogressive
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had been somersaultingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of somersault
1520–30; < Middle French sombresaut, alteration of sobresault; compare Old Provençal sobre over (< Latin super ), saut a leap (< Latin saltus )
Explanation
A somersault is a gymnastic move in which you lower your head almost to the floor and roll forward so your feet flip over your head. Fancier somersaults are done in the air, rather than on the ground. There are many types of somersaults—forward, backward, and sideways, among other variations. In gymnastics, a somersault on the floor is more often called a roll. The word somersault, which works as a verb too, comes from the now-obsolete French sombresault, from the Latin roots supra, "over," and saut, "a jump."
Vocabulary lists containing somersault
Vocabulary of the Summer Olympics
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Summer of the Monkeys
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Unit 4, Week 5
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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.
Isack Hadjar crashed his Red Bull on his own at the final chicane and Pierre Gasly's Alpine was tipped into a somersault by Liam Lawson's Racing Bulls at the final corner.
From BBC • May 3, 2026
The USA's Ilia Malinin performs a somersault during his routine in the figure skating team event.
From BBC • Feb. 9, 2026
“But wait, you say, ‘I’ve seen them dance and somersault, and even bounce off walls.’
From Los Angeles Times • Jan. 6, 2026
After Joveljic doubled the advantage four minutes later on an assist from Mark Delgado, he performed a somersault in the penalty area, then ran away from his teammates and bowed toward Puig on the sidelines.
From Los Angeles Times • Dec. 7, 2024
Laney considered what Papa said as she prepped another somersault.
From "The Vanderbeekers of 141st Street" by Karina Yan Glaser
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
