somersault

Pronunciation: /ˈsʌmɚˌsɔlt/

Reading level: hard

Estimated CEFR level: C2 — Proficiency

Estimated from word frequency; not an official CEFR classification.

Definition

  1. noun an acrobatic feat in which the feet roll over the head (either forward or backward) and return
  2. verb do a somersault

Etymology

From French sombresault (now obsolete, compare French sursaut, soubresaut), from Old Occitan sobresalt, from sobre- (“over, above”) + salt (“jump”), from Latin suprā (“over”) + saltus (“jump”). Doublet of soubresaut. Cognate with Spanish sobresaltar (“to spook, startle”) and Portuguese sobressaltar (“to spook, scare, jump over”).

In classic literature

Synonyms

somerset, summersault, summerset, somersaulting, flip

Semantic network

Broader (hypernyms)
tumble
Narrower (hyponyms)
flip-flop

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