somersault
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somersault
, summersault1.
a. a forward roll in which the head is placed on the ground and the trunk and legs are turned over it
b. a similar roll in a backward direction
2. an acrobatic feat in which either of these rolls are performed in midair, as in diving or gymnastics
Collins Discovery Encyclopedia, 1st edition © HarperCollins Publishers 2005
The following article is from The Great Soviet Encyclopedia (1979). It might be outdated or ideologically biased.
Somersault
a circus stunt and one of the most common elements of floor acrobatics and gymnastics. A somersault is a jump in which the heels are turned over the head as the body rotates in the air; it is executed without support. There are forward, backward, and side somersaults. Somersaults may also be classified as single or double.
The Great Soviet Encyclopedia, 3rd Edition (1970-1979). © 2010 The Gale Group, Inc. All rights reserved.