summersault

3 definitions found

summersault - Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 :

  Somersault \Som"er*sault\, Somerset \Som"er*set\, n. [F.
     soubresaut a jump, leap, OF. soubresault, It. soprassalto an
     overleap, fr. L. supra over + saltus a leap, fr. salire to
     leap; or the French may be from Sp. sobresalto a sudden
     asault, a surprise. See Supra, and Salient.]
     A leap in which a person turns his heels over his head and
     lights upon his feet; a turning end over end. [Written also
     summersault, sommerset, summerset, etc.] "The vaulter's
     sombersalts." --Donne.
     [1913 Webster]
  
           Now I'll only
           Make him break his neck in doing a sommerset. --Beau. &
                                                    Fl.
     [1913 Webster]

  Summersault \Sum"mer*sault\, Summerset \Sum"mer*set\, n.
     See Somersault, Somerset.
     [1913 Webster]

summersault - WordNet (r) 2.1 (2005) :

  summersault
      n 1: an acrobatic feat in which the feet roll over the head
           (either forward or backward) and return [syn: somersault,
           somerset, summersault, summerset, somersaulting,
           flip]