I. noun
also sum·mer·sault ˈsəmə(r)ˌsȯlt
( -s )
Etymology: Middle French sombresaut leap, alteration of soubresaut, soubresault, probably from (assumed) Old Provençal sobresaut, from Old Provençal sobre over (from Latin super ) + saut leap, jump, from Latin saltus — more at over , salt
1. : an act of turning end over end: as
a. : a stunt or maneuver in which a person stoops down and while remaining in a tuck position rolls end over end on the floor either forward or backward
b. : a leap or jump in which a person turns his heels over his head forward or backward before landing on the floor
c. : a front or back dive executed in tuck, pike, or layout position in which the diver rotates end over end one or more times before entering the water
2. : an action held to resemble a somersault : a reversal of policy, tactics, or position : a complete overturn
saying that our present Far Eastern policy represents a complete somersault — New Republic
led Bulgaria in its complete somersault from the camp of the Axis into the fold of the Allies — E.P.Snow
II. intransitive verb
also summersault “
( -ed/-ing/-s )
: to turn or execute a somersault