tumble
tumble Lexical Profile
tumble Game Scores & Validity
• verb
To fall suddenly, clumsily, or headlong.
"The hikers watched the loose rocks tumble down the steep mountainside."
To decrease rapidly in amount or value.
"Stock prices began to tumble after the company announced lower quarterly earnings."
To perform acrobatic feats such as somersaults, rolls, and handsprings.
"The children loved to tumble on the grass in the backyard."
To clean, polish, or dry items inside a rotating drum or barrel.
"The jeweler used a rotary machine to tumble the rough gemstones until they were smooth."
To come to understand or realize something suddenly (usually followed by 'to').
"It took a few minutes for him to tumble to what they were actually planning."
• noun
A sudden or headlong fall.
"The cyclist took a nasty tumble on the wet cobblestone street."
An untidy, confused, or disorderly state or heap.
"Her desk was covered in a chaotic tumble of papers, notebooks, and pens."
An acrobatic feat, such as a somersault or handspring.
"The gymnast executed a series of rapid tumbles across the mat."
• Rhymes for tumble
• Nearby Words
Word Origin & Etymology
From Middle English tumblen, a frequentative formation from Old English tumbian ('to dance, leap, or turn heels over head'), possibly reinforced by Middle Low German tummelen ('to revolve or turn').