somersault

noun som·er·sault \ˈsə-mər-ˌsȯlt\

: 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

Full 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

— somersault intransitive verb

See somersault defined for English-language learners

See somersault defined for kids

Variants of SOMERSAULT

som·er·sault also sum·mer·sault \ˈsə-mər-ˌsȯlt\

Origin of SOMERSAULT

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

First Known Use: circa 1530

Rhymes with SOMERSAULT

comma fault, double fault, garlic salt, single malt, table salt

SOMERSAULT Defined for Kids

¹somersault

noun som·er·sault \ˈsə-mər-ˌsȯlt\

Definition of SOMERSAULT for Kids

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

Word History of 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.”