tumble

Tumble is defined as to do somersaults, fall clumsily or stumble, or to cause someone or something to fall.

(verb)

An example of tumble is to fall and roll down a hill.

The definition of a tumble is an act of somersaulting, stumbling or falling, or disorder or confusion.

(noun)

  1. An example of a tumble is a stumble down a hill.
  2. An example of a tumble is mass chaos.

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See tumble in Webster's New World College Dictionary

intransitive verb tumbled, tumbling

  1. to do somersaults, handsprings, or similar acrobatic or gymnastic feats
    1. to fall suddenly, clumsily, or helplessly
    2. to fall or decline suddenly, as from power, high value, etc.
    3. to come down in ruins; collapse
  2. to stumble or trip
  3. to toss about or roll around
  4. to move, go, issue, etc. in a hasty, awkward, or disorderly manner
  5. Informal to have sudden awareness or understanding of some situation: with to

Origin: ME tumblen, freq. of tumben < OE tumbian, to fall, jump, dance; akin to Ger tummeln, taumeln < OHG *tumalon, freq. of tumon, to turn < IE base *dheu-, to be turbid > dull

transitive verb

  1. to cause to tumble; make fall, overthrow, topple, roll over, etc.
  2. to put into disorder by or as by tossing here and there; disarrange
  3. to whirl in a tumbler (sense )

noun

  1. the act or an instance of tumbling; specif.,
    1. a somersault, handspring, etc.
    2. a fall or decline
    3. a stumble
  2. disorder; confusion
  3. a confused heap

See tumble in American Heritage Dictionary 4

verb tum·bled, tum·bling, tum·bles
verb, intransitive
  1. To perform acrobatic feats such as somersaults, rolls, or twists.
  2. a. To fall or roll end over end: The kittens tumbled over each other.
    b. To spill or roll out in confusion or disorder: Students tumbled out of the bus.
    c. To pitch headlong; fall: tumbled on the ice.
    d. To proceed haphazardly.
  3. a. To topple, as from power or a high position; fall.
    b. To collapse: The wall tumbled down.
    c. To drop: Prices tumbled.
  4. To come upon accidentally; happen on: We tumbled on a fine restaurant.
  5. Slang To come to a sudden understanding; catch on: tumbled to the reality that he had been cheated.
verb, transitive
  1. To cause to fall; bring down: A scandal tumbled the government.
  2. To put, spill, or toss haphazardly: tumbled the extra parts into a box.
  3. To toss or whirl in a drum, tumbler, or tumbling box.
noun
  1. An act of tumbling; a fall.
  2. Confusion; disorder.

Origin:

Origin: Middle English tumblen

Origin: , frequentative of tumben, to dance about

Origin: , from Old English tumbian

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