[Elamur Dictionary](https://md.dictionary.elamur.ai/free/en/) · [this page in HTML](https://dictionary.elamur.ai/free/en/english/somersault/)

[dictionaries](https://md.dictionary.elamur.ai/free/en/) / [English](https://md.dictionary.elamur.ai/free/en/english/) / [S](https://md.dictionary.elamur.ai/free/en/english/s/) / somersault

# somersault

noun (a somersault, somersaults); verb (somersault, somersaults, somersaulted, somersaulting)

«somersault» in the English dictionary: everyday — its meanings, how the lessons use it, and examples, each with its tree on Mova.

## Everyday

1. A movement where you roll or flip your whole body head over heels, forwards or backwards, on the ground or in the air. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/S/somersault/#m1)
2. To do such a roll or flip. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/S/somersault/#m2)
3. (of a vehicle or object) To turn over completely, end over end. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/S/somersault/#m3)
4. A sudden complete change of opinion or plan. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/S/somersault/#m4)

### In the lessons

In PE and gymnastics lessons pupils learn forward and backward somersaults safely on mats. In stories it shows play, excitement or a dramatic fall; «my stomach did somersaults» means feeling very nervous. In the news a car that «somersaulted» rolled over in a crash. Phrases: «do a somersault», «turn a somersault», «forward somersault», «stomach did somersaults».

### Examples

- We learnt to do a forward somersault in PE today. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/S/somersault/#x1)
- The gymnast did a double somersault in the air. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/S/somersault/#x2)
- The children were turning somersaults on the grass. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/S/somersault/#x3)
- The diver somersaulted into the pool. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/S/somersault/#x4)
- My stomach did somersaults before the school play. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/S/somersault/#x5)
- The car somersaulted off the road, but nobody was badly hurt. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/S/somersault/#x6)
- Always do somersaults on a soft mat. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/S/somersault/#x7)
- The minister did a somersault and changed his mind completely. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/S/somersault/#x8)
- A few turned somersaults, others walked on their hands with their feet in the air. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/S/somersault/#x9)

### Note

Spelling trap: «somer» not «summer»: somersault. Countable: «three somersaults». In many places children also say «forward roll» for a simple somersault on the ground. For safety, tuck your chin in and practise on mats with a teacher.

## On Mova

- [Trees and pragmatics of «somersault» in the school dictionary](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/S/somersault/): every meaning and example parsed by Mova, with its dependency tree and frames.
- [«somersault» in the school dictionary](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/dictionaries/school/w/somersault.html) on Mova free.