tumble
/ˈtʌmbl̩/ verb B1- To fall end over end; to roll over and over.
- To throw headlong.
- To perform gymnastics such as somersaults, rolls, and handsprings.
- To drop rapidly.
- To smooth and polish (e.g. gemstones or pebbles) by means of a rotating tumbler.
- To have sexual intercourse.
- To move or rush in a headlong or uncontrolled way.
- To muss, to make disorderly; to tousle or rumple. · to tumble a bed
He/she/it tumbles · Past tumbled · Past participle tumbled · -ing form tumbling
Verb forms
- Base form
- tumble
- He/she/it
- tumbles
- Past
- tumbled
- Past participle
- tumbled
- -ing form
- tumbling
Phrasal verbs and expressions
From the library
At the far end is an old tumble-down summer-house.
Hardly knowing what she did, she picked up a little bit of stick, and held it out to the puppy; whereupon the puppy jumped into the air off all its feet at once, with a yelp of delight, and rushed at the stick, and made believe to worry it; then Alice dodged behind a great thistle, to keep herself from being run over; and the moment she appeared on the other side, the puppy made another rush at the stick, and tumbled head over heels in its hurry to get hold of it; then Alice, thinking it was very like having a game of play with a cart-horse, and expecting every moment to be trampled under its feet, ran round the thistle again; then the puppy began a series of short charges at the stick, running a very little way forwards each time and a long way back, and barking hoarsely all the while, till at last it sat down a good way off, panting, with its tongue hanging out of its mouth, and its great eyes half shut.
“Get to your places!” shouted the Queen in a voice of thunder, and people began running about in all directions, tumbling up against each other; however, they got settled down in a minute or two, and the game began.
I was on my way to dine all by my lonely self when you came tumbling around the corner.
Other matches
Learn tumble in real texts
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