v. & n.
v. 1 intr. & tr. fall or cause to fall suddenly, clumsily, or headlong. 2 intr. fall rapidly in amount etc. (prices tumbled). 3 intr. (often foll. by about, around) roll or toss erratically or helplessly to and fro. 4 intr. move or rush in a headlong or blundering manner (the children tumbled out of the car). 5 intr. (often foll. by to) colloq. grasp the meaning or hidden implication of an idea, circumstance, etc. (they quickly tumbled to our intentions). 6 tr. overturn; fling or push roughly or carelessly. 7 intr. perform acrobatic feats, esp. somersaults. 8 tr. rumple or disarrange; pull about; disorder. 9 tr. dry (washing) in a tumble-drier. 10 tr. clean (castings, gemstones, etc.) in a tumbling-barrel. 11 intr. (of a pigeon) turn over backwards in flight.
n. 1 a sudden or headlong fall. 2 a somersault or other acrobatic feat. 3 an untidy or confused state. tumble-drier n. a machine for drying washing in a heated rotating drum. tumble-dry v.tr. & intr. (-dries, -dried) dry in a tumble-drier. tumbling-barrel (or -box etc.) a revolving device containing an abrasive substance, in which castings, gemstones, etc., are cleaned by friction. tumbling-bay 1 the outfall of a river, reservoir, etc. 2 a pool into which this flows.
[ ME tumbel f. MLG tummelen, OHG tumalon frequent. of tumon: cf. OE tumbian dance ]