noun
cartwheel
KAHT-weel
noun
1
A gymnastic move in which a person rotates sideways with arms and legs outstretched, briefly balancing on their hands.
"She did a perfect cartwheel across the gym floor."
verb
1
To perform this move, or to tumble end over end.
"The car cartwheeled off the road after hitting the barrier."
How to Use Cartwheel
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishA sideways rotating flip performed by hand, or (of a vehicle) to flip end over end.
Common pairings
turn a cartwheel
do a cartwheel
the car cartwheeled
Word Forms
cartwheeled past tense, cartwheels plural, cartwheels singular
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She did a perfect _____ across the gym floor.
Etymology
Literally a compound of "cart" and "wheel" — the gymnastic move is named for its resemblance to a turning wagon wheel.