somerset
somerset Lexical Profile
somerset Game Scores & Validity
• noun
A ceremonious and historic county in South West England, bordered by the Bristol Channel to the north and known for the Mendip Hills, Exmoor, and the city of Bath.
An acrobatic movement in which a person turns head over heels in the air or on the ground; a somersault (now archaic or dialectal).
"The agile performer executed a quick somerset across the wooden stage."
A type of padded saddle packed behind the thigh and knee to provide extra support, historically designed for a rider who had lost a leg.
"The veteran cavalryman commissioned a custom leather somerset so he could continue riding comfortably."
• verb
To perform a somersault; to turn head over heels (now archaic or dialectal).
"The children somersetted down the grassy hillside until they were dizzy."
• Nearby Words
Word Origin & Etymology
In its acrobatic sense, altered from early modern English 'somersault', borrowed from Old French 'sombresaut', ultimately from Vulgar Latin 'granum' + 'saltus' ('leap'). As a place name, derived from Old English 'Sumorsæte', meaning 'people living at or dependent on Somerton'.