Word forms: plural, 3rd person singular presenttense somersaults, present participle somersaulting, past tense, past participle somersaulted
1. countable noun
If someone or something does a somersault, they turn over completely in the air.
2. countable noun
If you say that someone does a somersault, you mean that they change suddenly from having a particular opinion or policy about something to having a completelydifferent opinion or policy.
The Prime Minister may feel simply unable to do a somersault.
Many people have performed a somersault in terms of expectations, roles and relationships.
3. verb
If someone or something somersaults, they perform one or more somersaults.
His boat hit a wave and somersaulted at speed. [VERB]
I hit him back and he somersaulted down the stairs. [VERB preposition]
somersault in British English
or summersault (ˈsʌməˌsɔːlt)
noun
1.
a.
a forward roll in which the head is placed on the ground and the trunk and legs are turned over it
b.
a similar roll in a backward direction
2.
an acrobatic feat in which either of these rolls are performed in midair, as in diving or gymnastics
3.
a complete reversal of opinion, policy, etc
verb
4. (intransitive)
to perform a somersault
Word origin
C16: from Old French soubresault, probably from Old Provençal sobresaut, from sobre over (from Latin super) + saut a jump, leap (from Latin saltus)
somersault in American English
(ˈsʌmərˌsɔlt)
noun
1.
an acrobatic stunt performed by turning the body one full revolution forward or backward, heels over head
often used figuratively, as of a complete reversal of opinion, sympathies, etc.
verb intransitive
2.
to perform a somersault or a series of somersaults
Also ˈsomerˌset (ˈsʌmərˌsɛt)
Word origin
altered < MFr sombresault, soubresault < L supra, over + saltus, a leap < pp. of saltare: see saltant
Examples of 'somersault' in a sentence
somersault
One stood on another's shoulders and turned a backward somersault.
Arthur, Robert THREE IN ONE (2004)
Dave got one young gangster round the waist and pitched him off in a somersault.
Keene, Carolyn THE SECRET OF THE FORGOTTEN CITY (2004)
"I just wanted you both to know that Wailer fell off the board while trying to do a back one-and-a-half somersault.
Jonah Black THE BLACK BOOK: DIARY OF A TEENAGE STUD VOL. II: STOP, DON'T STOP (2004)
In other languages
somersault
British English: somersault NOUN
If someone or something does a somersault, they turn over completely in the air.
Trained dogs did somersaults on a man's shoulders.
American English: somersault
Brazilian Portuguese: salto mortal
Chinese: 筋斗
European Spanish: salto mortal
French: culbute
German: Salto
Italian: capriola
Japanese: 宙返り
Korean: 공중제비
European Portuguese: salto mortal
Latin American Spanish: salto mortal
British English: somersault VERB
If someone or something somersaults, they perform one or more somersaults.