n.
Variant: also sum · mer · sault
Pronunciation: ' s ə -m ə r- ˌ so ̇ lt
Function: noun
Etymology: Middle French sombresaut leap, ultimately from Latin super over + saltus leap, from salire to jump ― more at OVER , SALLY
Date: circa 1530
: a movement (as in gymnastics) in which a person turns forward or backward in a complete revolution along the ground or in the air bringing the feet over the head also : a falling or tumbling head over heels
– somersault intransitive verb