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tumble

tumble

46 2.9
A rolling fall or gymnastic turn of the body
  • noun
  • /ˈtʌmbl/
translation icon : caída
  • As for him, he only remembers the tumble on the stairs before the water.
  • rough and tumble
  • a little tumble

Examples

Synonyms

roll
vstumble
761 2.3

A smooth side-to-side movement of the body when walking

is more about a sudden descent or acrobatic turning than general rotary motion
fall
vstumble
191 1.0

A drop from a higher to a lower level

is more specific, involving rolling or turning during the descent
drop
vstumble
45 1.0

A sudden fall from a higher place to a lower place

is different because it often includes rolling or acrobatic motion
flop
vstumble
28 3.5

A sudden heavy fall onto something that makes a soft sound

is more about rolling or turning over rather than collapsing flat
flip
vstumble
21 3.7

A jump where the body turns over in the air

is a sudden descent that often involves rolling rather than an aerial turn
spill
vstumble
13 1.7

A sudden fall when someone loses balance while moving

is broader, also meaning an acrobatic rolling descent rather than just toppling
slip
vstumble
8 1.0

An accidental sliding that makes you lose your balance

is a sudden descent that typically involves rolling or turning not just sliding
roundoff
vstumble
  • Jargon
1 4.8

A gymnastic move like a cartwheel that ends with both feet landing together facing the direction of entry

is a sudden descent or roll, not a planned gymnastic ending

Idioms

To fall suddenly, for example by tripping or by losing value

Compounds

rough-and-tumble
  • Informal
3 7.3

Energetic and rough, not following usual rules

1 2.6

A machine that dries wet clothes by spinning them in warm air

A noisy, rough fight with little care for rules

9.4

A wild grass with thin brush-like seed heads that grows in fields

2.6

A machine that spins wet clothes with hot air to remove water

How Dramatic

flip
21 3.7
somersault
16 2.8
tumble
46 2.9
fall
191 1.0
to stumble
129 1.6

Surface Forms

tumble singular
tumbles plural

Etymology

A tumble comes from an old French word tomber meaning 'to fall' or 'turn over', so a tumble is simply a fall or a rolling/turning movement, like a small fall or a gymnast's roll.