somersault

noun som·er·sault \ ˈsə-mər-ˌsȯlt \

variants: or less commonly summersault

|Updated on: 20 May 2018

Examples: somersault in a Sentence

Definition of somersault

: a movement (as in gymnastics) in which a person turns forward or backward in a complete revolution along the ground or in the air bringing the feet over the head; also : a falling or tumbling head over heels

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somersault

intransitive verb

See somersault defined for English-language learners

See somersault defined for kids

Examples of somersault in a Sentence

The gymnast turned a somersault.

Recent Examples of somersault from the Web

Cruiserweight Championship: Mustafa Ali vs. Cedric Alexander Alexander won the title after hitting his lumbar-check knees to the back finisher after Ali missed his 054, a reverse forward somersault off the top rope.

— jay reddick, OrlandoSentinel.com, "WrestleMania 34 recap: Lesnar beats Reigns; Rousey, Styles win," 9 Apr. 2018
Pallotta was seen performing a backward somersault in his dress shirt and pants into a fountain in the Piazza del Popolo.

— BostonGlobe.com, "Death toll from bus crash rises to 16," 12 Apr. 2018
Ironically, the principal effect of the 24-hour somersault is that undocumented migrants who were previously threatened with deportation no longer face that prospect.

— noga tarnopolsky, latimes.com, "In an abrupt turnaround, Netanyahu cancels deal to resettle African migrants in Israel. Now what?," 3 Apr. 2018
Johnson was third heading into the final round but earned 8s and 9s on his 4 ½ somersault tuck for a score of 96.90 points, highest of the 48-dive competition.

— david woods, Indianapolis Star, "Hoosiers third in NCAA swimming for best finish in 43 years," 24 Mar. 2018
By the end of the afternoon, there are foot races and backflips and somersaults and handstand contests.

— bronwen dickey, Popular Mechanics, "The Lost Kids on the Line," 14 Mar. 2018
Now, let’s talk about the somersaults the fickle president performed all last week.

— dahleen glanton, chicagotribune.com, "A bizarre week in Gunland America, where teens wield rifles like backpacks," 5 Mar. 2018
Murphy's winning dive was a inward 2 1/2 somersault.

— john snodgrass, Cincinnati.com, "Prospect breakdown: Aquatic champions," 24 Feb. 2018
In one of the springboard preliminary rounds, American diver Greg Louganis hit his head on the diving board while doing a somersault.

— olivia b. waxman, Time, "How Drama Between North and South Korea Threatened the Olympics 30 Years Ago," 8 Feb. 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'somersault.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Origin and Etymology of somersault

Middle French sombresaut leap, ultimately from Latin super over + saltus leap, from salire to jump — more at over, sally

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: circa 1530

in the meaning defined above

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SOMERSAULT Defined for English Language Learners

somersault

noun

Definition of somersault for English Language Learners

: a forward or backward movement of your body on the ground or in the air that is made by bringing your feet over your head

SOMERSAULT Defined for Kids

somersault

noun som·er·sault \ ˈsə-mər-ˌsȯlt \

Definition of somersault for Students

: a movement in which someone makes a complete turn by bringing the feet over the head

History for somersault

If you pay attention only to its sound, somersault is rather puzzling, because going head over heels has nothing to do with summer or salt. The spelling, however, suggests that the key to its history lies elsewhere. Somersault comes from a 16th-century French word sombresaut, made up of sombre or sobre, “over,” and saut, “jump.”