Somersault Meaning
/ˈsʌməˌsɒlt/Definition, CEFR level B2, pronunciation, examples, and quiz.
Listen pronunciation
Definition
nounStarting on one's feet, an instance of rotating one's body 360 degrees while airborne or on the ground, with one's feet passing over one's head.
verbTo perform a somersault.
Sentence Examples
He turned a somersault.
Tom did a somersault.
A somersault gone wrong landed Tom in the hospital.
Synonyms & Antonyms
Synonyms:
Antonyms:
None
CEFR Practice Quiz
The child performed a perfect ____ by tucking his head and rolling.
CEFR Practice Quiz (Alternate)
The talented gymnast performed a perfect ____ during her floor routine at the national competition.
Word Origin & History
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”).
Literary Quotations & Historical Citations
"He half-carries, half-drags it back to the stern, making sure the heat exchanger stays in the water, and somersaults it into the zodiac."
— 1992, Neal Stephenson, Snow Crash, page 361:
Explore More B2 Vocabulary Words
CEFR Practice Quiz
The child performed a perfect ____ by tucking his head and rolling.
CEFR Practice Quiz (Alternate)
The talented gymnast performed a perfect ____ during her floor routine at the national competition.