som‧er‧sault /ˈsʌməsɔːlt $ -ərsɒːlt/ noun [countable]
[Date: 1500-1600; Language: Old French; Origin: sombresaut, from Latin super 'over' + saltus 'jump']

1. British English a movement in which someone rolls or jumps forwards or backwards so that their feet go over their head before they stand up again
do/turn a somersault
Lana turned a somersault in midair.

2. American English a forward roll
—somersault verb [intransitive]:
He crashed into the table, somersaulted over it and landed on the carpet.

[TahlilGaran] Dictionary of Contemporary English ▲