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Glite Dictionary
base over apex

base over apex

9.1
To turn completely upside down while falling
  • idiom
translation icon : de cabeza
  • When the chair tipped over, she tumbled base over apex onto the floor.

Examples

  • The car flipped base over apex after hitting the curb.

  • She fell base over apex during the gymnastics routine.

  • The cyclist went base over apex after hitting a hidden bump in the road.

  • The dog rolled base over apex chasing after the ball.

  • The cyclist went base over apex after hitting a hidden bump in the road.

  • The car flipped base over apex after hitting the curb.

  • She fell base over apex during the gymnastics routine.

Synonyms

upside down
vsbase over apex
138 2.0

With the top where the bottom usually is

describes an active overturning or tumbling motion rather than a static position

Antonyms

upright
44 2.7

Standing straight up and not leaning

Surface Forms

base over apex positive

Morphology

base + over + apex

The phrase describes a physical inversion in which the 'base' (bottom) moves over the 'apex' (top), so the meaning of flipping or turning upside-down is directly inferable from the literal meanings and spatial relation 'over'. This is a compositional, imageable spatial description common across languages, so a learner who knows the constituent words can readily understand it.

Etymology

Base over apex gives the image of a flip: the base, or bottom, goes above the apex, or top, so someone or something turns completely over. That's why it is used to mean 'upside-down' or 'to tumble'.