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Glite Dictionary
tumbling

tumbling

1 3.5
A series of physical moves like somersaults and handsprings on a floor or mat
  • noun
  • /ˈtʌmbəlɪŋ/
translation icon : acrobacia
  • Years passed, and I slithered from sea to river to lake, till at last I came here, following the drifts and tumblings of the Grail.

Examples

  • [Luggage Tumbling Down Stairs]

    October Baby (2011)

  • They did the cheer clinic part of it, which was like stretching and jumps and tumbling technique and all that jazz.

  • So four or five hours of tumbling and this is pretty much it.

  • I CAN'T STOP THE TUMBLING, AND YOU'VE GOT TWO MINUTES !

    RocketMan (1997)

  • [BARRELS TUMBLING]

    Leprechaun Returns (2018)

  • She practiced her tumbling skills and performed a perfect somersault on the mat.

  • His tumbling routine was so impressive that the audience applauded loudly after each move.

  • The gymnasts focused on their tumbling techniques during the training session to improve their performance.

Synonyms

gymnastics
vstumbling
98 3.3

A sport of physical exercises on equipment that show strength and balance

focuses on floor or mat acrobatic moves rather than apparatus exercises
acrobatics
vstumbling
5 4.3

Physical moves that show balance, strength, and skill, such as flips and handstands

focuses on specific floor movements like somersaults and handsprings rather than broad feats

How Acrobatic

acrobatics
5 4.3
tumbling
1 3.5

Surface Forms

tumbling singular
tumblings plural

Morphology

tumbling = tumble (transparent) = tumble + ing

A straightforward -ing nominalization of the verb 'tumble' yielding the activity; learners who know 'tumble' will infer the meaning.

Etymology

Tumbling comes from the old word tumble, which meant 'to fall'. Think of tumblers as people who practice controlled falls, rolls and flips on the floor, so tumbling now means acrobatic movements like somersaults and handsprings.