somersault
SUM-er-salt
/ˈsʌməsɔːlt/
An acrobatic movement in which a person turns head over heels in the air or on the ground and lands on their feet.
A basic but fundamental acrobatic move; can be forward, backward, or sideways.
The story behind the word. From the Old French 'sobresault', which comes from the Latin 'supra' (over) and 'saltus' (a jump). It literally means an 'over-jump'.
Word relationships
- flip: Flip is the informal, more common term; somersault is the traditional and more technical term.
Commonly confused with
- tumble: Tumbling is a series of moves; a somersault is one specific rotation.
Collocations
- back somersault
- forward somersault
- double somersault
Example sentences
- "The boy did a perfect somersault on the grass." Playground
- "She finished her routine with a double back somersault." Gymnastics
Memory hook
In the 'Summer', you 'Salt' (jump) into the pool with a somersault. Over-jump.
When not to use
Don't use for a simple roll where the head stays on the ground; a true somersault often implies the body leaves the ground.
Fun facts
- In the 16th century, it was sometimes spelled 'somersets'.
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