tumble

Meaning

Noun

1. A fall, especially end over end.
2. A disorderly heap.
3. (informal) An act of sexual intercourse.

Verb

1. To fall end over end; to roll over and over.
2. To throw headlong.
3. To perform gymnastics such as somersaults, rolls, and handsprings.
4. To drop rapidly.
5. To smooth and polish (e.g. gemstones or pebbles) by means of a rotating tumbler.
6. (informal) To have sexual intercourse.
7. To move or rush in a headlong or uncontrolled way.
8. To muss, to make disorderly; to tousle or rumple.
9. To obscure the audit trail of funds by means of a tumbler.
10. (obsolete,slang) To comprehend; often in tumble to.

Hyphenated as

tum‧ble

Pronounced as (IPA)

/ˈtʌmbl̩/

Etymology

From Middle English tumblen (“to fall over and over again, tumble”), frequentative of Middle English tumben (“to fall, leap, dance”), from Old English tumbian, from Proto-Germanic *tūmōną (“to turn, rotate”). Cognate with Middle Dutch tumelen (whence Dutch tuimelen), Middle Low German tumelen, tummelen, German taumeln and Danish tumle.