Also 4–5 tumbel, 4–6 tumbil, 4–7 tomble, 5 towmble, tumbell, -bill (also 6 Sc.), 5–6 tombel, toumble, 6 toomble; Sc. 4 twmmyll, 4–6 tummyll, tumle, 6 tummill, north. dial. tomyll, 8–9 tummle. [ME. tumbel, etc. = MLG., LG., mod.Ger. (sich) tummeln, EFris. tummeln, early mod.Du. (Kilian) tommelen, tummelen, Fris. tommelje, Da. tumle, Sw. tumla to tumble down, (refl.) to roll oneself, turn round, also OHG. tumalôn, mod.Ger. tummeln to bustle, hurry, make haste. By the side of these, OHG. had, with long ū, tûmalôn, mod.Ger. taumeln to be giddy, reel, stagger, tumble, Du. tuimelen, earlier tuymelen (Kilian), to tumble, fall. The forms with short and long u were originally variants, formed as frequentatives or diminutives of OHG. tumôn, OE. tumbian, TUMB; in mod.Ger. they have become differentiated in sense as well as in form. From an OLG. tumben, tummen, came OF. tumer, tumber, tomber to fall, which has prob. influenced the Eng. sense of tumble. The ME. spelling tomb- was merely graphic: see O (the letter).]
I. 1. intr. † To dance with posturing, balancing, contortions, and the like (obs.); to perform as an acrobat; esp. to execute leaps, springs, somersaults, and similar feats.
a. 1300. Cursor M., 13140 (Gött.). His broþer doghtir … Balid wele and tumblid [v.rr. tumbel, tumble, tomblyng] wid al.
1303. R. Brunne, Handl. Synne, 2820. Eroud swore To here þat tumbled yn þe flore, Þat [etc.].
a. 1350. St. Thomas, 40, in Horstm., Altengl. Leg. (1881), 20. A woman was þore in þe hall Þat tumbild fast bifor þam all.
1530. Palsgr., 763/2. I tumble, as a tombler dothe, je tumbe.… This felowe can tomble well.
1604. E. G[rimstone], D’Acosta’s Hist. Indies, VI. xxviii. 493. Their great agilitie, in leaping, vaulting and tumbling.
1768. Johnson, in Boswell (1906), I. 343. A man who is paid for tumbling upon his hands.
1840. Dickens, Old C. Shop, v. The boy … having a natural taste for tumbling, was now standing on his head.
2. intr. To roll about on the ground, or in the water or air; to wallow; also to throw oneself about in a restless way on a bed or couch; to toss. Also fig.
14[?]. 26 Pol. Poems, xxv. 223. The pyt of hell … Where synful soules tumble and raue.
1549. Coverdale, etc., Erasm. Par. Eph., Prol. Yf thou … wylt tomble and walowe styll in wylful ignoraunce, and errour.
1606. Shaks., Ant & Cl., I. iv. 17. Let us grant it is not Amisse to tumble on the bed of Ptolomy. Ibid. (1608), Per., II. i. 27. I saw the Porpas how he bounst and tumbled.
c. 1684. Leighton, Wks. (1835), I. 116. Shall they then, who are purified … return to live among the swine, and tumble with them in the puddle?
1745. P. Thomas, Jrnl. Anson’s Voy., 20. Seals … leaping and tumbling in the Water.
1819. Byron, Juan, II. cxxxviii. Haidée … sadly toss’d and tumbled, And started from her sleep.
1840. Dickens, Barn. Rudge, v. He was very restless…, and for some hours tossed and tumbled.
† b. refl. in same sense. Obs.
1577. B. Googe, Heresbach’s Husb., III. (1586), 122. A place meete for their wallowing, wherein … they may tumble themselues.
1616. Surfl. & Markh., Country Farme, 75. The Goose … doth loue to swim, and to coole, plunge, and tumble her selfe euerie day.
1661. Lovell, Hist. Anim. & Min., 95. When hungry they tumble themselves in red earth, and so lie as if dead…, and when the birds of prey come to feed on them, they suddainly take them.
c. intr. spec. of a pigeon: To throw itself over backwards during its flight; cf. TUMBLER 4; in gunnery, of a projectile, to turn end over end in its flight.
1698. Fryer, Acc. E. India & P., 116. Pigeons tumbling in the Air.
1735. J. Moore, Columbarium, 40. When they are up at their Pitch, the better Sort seldom or never tumble.
1868. Darwin, Anim. & Pl., I. v. 151. The Common English Tumblers have exactly the same habits as the Persian Tumbler, but tumble better.
1906. Westm. Gaz., 4 Oct., 5/3. Erosion … not sufficiently serious to affect the flight of the projectiles, none of which were observed to ‘tumble.’
II. 3. intr. To fall; esp. to fall in a helpless way, as from stumbling or violence; to be precipitated, fall headlong; also said of a stream falling in a cataract.
13[?]. K. Alis., 2465 (Bodl. MS.). Men miȝtten sen … Heuedes tumblen guttes drawe Many body ouerþrowe.
c. 1330. R. Brunne, Chron. (1810), 70. He stombled at a nayle, Into þe waise … he tombled top ouer taile.
1470–85. Malory, Arthur, X. lvi. 507. He tombled doune of his hors in a swoune.
1560. Daus, trans. Sleidane’s Comm., 323 b. They … tomble of the bridge into the Rhine.
1610. G. Fletcher, Christ’s Tri., I. xlix. From heav’n it tombled to the deep.
1687. A. Lovell, trans. Thevenot’s Trav., II. 74. One of the gang tumbled off of his Mule, and had almost broken his Neck.
1697. Dryden, Æneid, VIII. 317. The fix’d foundations of the rock Gave way;… Tumbling it chok’d the flood.
1796. Morse, Amer. Geog., I. 449. In passing through this hilly country, it tumbles over many falls.
1855. Macaulay, Hist. Eng., xiv. III. 401. He opened the barrel; and from among a heap of shells out tumbled a stout halter.
1878. Huxley, Physiogr., 132. Fragments of rock … tumble down into the stream.
b. intr. To fall prone, fall to the ground; often const. down, over. Also, to stumble by tripping over an object.
c. 1350. Will. Palerne, 3388. But our on [= unless one of us] titly tumbel trowe me neuer after. Ibid., 3866. He tit ouer his hors tayl tombled ded to þerþe.
1375. Barbour, Bruce, XIII. 29. Thar mycht man … se tummyll knychtis and stedis.
c. 1489. Caxton, Sonnes of Aymon, xxii. 478. Suche a stroke … that he made him tomble over & over at his fete.
1732. Lediard, Sethos, II. IX. 325. The force … only made him tumble the sooner.
1843. Borrow, Bible in Spain, xxiv. (Pelh. Libr.), 167. The mule of the peasant tumbled prostrate.
c. intr. Of a building or structure: To fall in ruins or fragments; to collapse. Also fig.
a. 1400–50. Alexander, 552. All þe erd euyn ouer sa egirly schakis, Þat teldis, templis, & touris tomble on hepis.
a. 1539. Cartular. Abb. de Rievalle (Surtees), 337. A steple tomylled down The tymber all to brokyn.
a. 1682. Sir T. Browne, Tracts, ix. (1683), 156. Obelisks have their term, and Pyramids will tumble.
1820. Belzoni, Egypt & Nubia, III. 385. There are a great number of houses, half tumbled down.
1880. Miss Braddon, Just as I am, xix. We should tumble to pieces without you.
d. intr. To fall rapidly in value, amount, or price: said esp. of stocks. Commercial slang.
1886. Pall Mall G., 8 Nov., 2/1. Rents had tumbled from 18 to 30 per cent., were likely to tumble still more.
1895. Daily News, 21 Dec., 5/4. As stock after stock tumbled the shouting became a prolonged roar.
4. trans. To cause to fall suddenly or violently; to throw or cast down.
1375. Barbour, Bruce, VI. 255. He tumlit doun on þaim þe stane.
c. 1489. Caxton, Sonnes of Aymon, xxiii. 496. Whan bayarde was thus tombled in the ryver, he sanke vnto the botome of it.
a. 1533. Ld. Berners, Huon, clix. 611. With all his strengthe he tombelyd Barnarde ouer the bourde into the water.
1588. Shaks., Tit. A., II. iii. 176. Oh … tumble me into some loathsome pit.
1623. R. Carpenter, Conscionable Christian, 72. Let Romish Jezebel … not be spared, tumble her out at window.
1774. Goldsm., Nat. Hist. (1776), III. 68. It [the chamois] drives at the hunter with its head, and often tumbles him down the neighbouring precipice.
1889. Gretton, Memory’s Harkback, 36. He collared one of the men, and tumbled him over the balusters.
fig. 1549. Coverdale, etc., Erasm. Par. 1 Pet. 11. God forbydde that I … shoulde be tombled backe agayne to this worlds delices.
1663. Bp. Patrick, Parab. Pilgr., xi. (1687), 65. They tumbled themselves into an Abysse of misery and woo irrecoverable.
1812. Byron, Ch. Har., I. lii. He whose nod Has tumbled feebler despots from their sway.
1848. Thackeray, Van. Fair, xxxv. It is she who has tumbled my hopes and all my pride down.
b. To cause to fall prostrate; to overthrow.
c. 1400. Destr. Troy, 7243. Achilles … Mony Troiens ouertyrnyt, tumblit to dethe.
1534. More, Treat. Passion, Wks. 1294/2. Thys fierce furious kynge … was with the waues of the water … ouer throwen and tumbled downe … and wretchedlye drowned.
1625. T. Godwin, Moses & Aaron, V. vii. 246. One of the witnesses tumbled him by a stroke vpon the loynes.
1700. Dryden, Pal. & Arc., III. 653. King Lycurgus … was tumbled on the plain.
1837–8. J. Keegan, Leg. & Poems (1907), 59. Come boys, have at him,… now’s the time to tumble him.
1895. Outing (U.S.), XXVII. 219/2. I now had him [the bull] in plain view, broadside on, and tumbled him in his tracks.
c. To throw down and destroy (a structure); to overthrow, demolish, reduce to ruins. Also fig.
1375. Barbour, Bruce, IX. 452. Þe towris euerilkane And vallis gert he tummyll doune.
c. 1400. Destr. Troy, 4877. I put not vnpossible ȝon place for to take … And all the toures of the toun tumbell to ground.
1596. Shaks., 1 Hen. IV., III. i. 32. Vnruly Winde … which … tombles downe Steeples, and mosse-growne Towers.
1696. Brookhouse, Temple Open., Pref. A iv. To undermine the Foundation, and to tumble down the whole Frame.
1809. W. Irving, Knickerb., VI. ix. (1849), 375. The noblest monuments which pride has ever reared … the hand of time will shortly tumble into ruins.
1875. Whitney, Life Lang., ii. 30. Some antagonist or successor, perhaps,… tumbles into ruins the whole magnificent structure of fancied truth.
5. To cause to fall in a confused heap; to throw down, in, out, etc., without order or regularity; to mix up in confusion, jumble together. Also fig.
1562. in W. H. Turner, Select. Rec. Oxford (1880), 291. To be shaked and tombled together [in balloting].
1601. ? Marston, Pasquil & Kath. (1878), I. 133. And after death … We all together shall be tumbled vp, into one bagge.
1663. Gerbier, Counsel, 26. Car-men turne or tumble down their Bricks.
1787. Sir J. Hawkins, Life Johnson, 99. He would not suffer any one to approach, except the compositor or Cave’s boy for matter, which, as fast as he composed it, he tumbled out at the door.
1821. Lamb, Elia, Ser. I. Mackery End. She was tumbled early into a spacious closet of good old English reading.
1869. Tozer, Highl. Turkey, I. 312. He tumbled on to my plate … half a dishful of mulberries.
6. To propel or drive headlong, or with a falling, stumbling, or rolling movement; to precipitate; to throw or thrust roughly or forcibly; to toss, pitch, bundle. Also fig.
1509. Hawes, Past. Pleas., xiv (Percy Soc.), 52. O thoughtful herte, tombled all aboute Upon the se of stormy ignoraunce.
1553. T. Wilson, Rhet. (1580), 109. We … tell one thyng after an other, from tyme to tyme, not tomblyng one tale in an others necke.
1595. Shaks., John, III. iv. 176. A little snow, tumbled about, Anon becomes a Mountaine.
1684. Bunyan, Pilgr., II. 23. They were greatly tumbled up and down in their minds, and knew not what to do.
1757. Smollett, Reprisal, I. i. To be tossed and tumbled about like a football.
1760–72. H. Brooke, Fool of Qual. (1809), III. 87. I was bound … and then tumbled with kicks … along the deck.
1818. Scott, Hrt. Midl., v. Effie used to help me to tumble the bundles o’ barkened leather up and down.
1840. Carlyle, Heroes, iii. 17. He [Shakspere] … tumbles and tosses him [his butt] in all sorts of horse-play.
refl. 1548. Udall, Erasm. Par. Luke iii. 47. No manne should presse or toumble himselfe into such an high office.
1884. Tennyson, Becket, I. i. The hog hath tumbled himself into some corner.
7. intr. To move or pass with a motion as if falling or stumbling; to move precipitately; to proceed hastily, without order or premeditation; to bowl, bundle, roll, rush. Also fig. Now colloq.
1590. Greene, Orl. Fur., Wks. (Rtldg.), 92. When I take my truncheon in my fist, A sceptre then comes tumbling in my thoughts.
1590. Spenser, F. Q., II. xi. 18. A great water flood,… tombling low From the high mountaines.
1683. Bunyan, Greatness of Soul, Wks. (ed. Offor), I. 141. What was the cause…? Why, their profits came tumbling in.
1712. Steele, Spect., No. 552, ¶ 1. I was tumbling about the town the other day in a hackney-coach.
1798. Hull Advertiser, 10 Nov., 1/4. We … have been tumbling about in very bad weather.
1832. Marryat, N. Forster, xxii. Tumble up smartly, my lads.
1843. Lever, J. Hinton, xiii. Tumble into bed, and go to sleep as fast as you can.
1850. Smedley, F. Fairlegh, i. Hastily tumbling into my clothes,… I rushed down-stairs.
8. trans. To turn over as in examination or search; hence fig. to examine cursorily. Now rare.
1597. Morley, Introd. Mus., Pref. What labour it was to tomble, tosse, and search so manie bookes.
1633. G. Herbert, Temple, Ch. Porch, xxv. Look in thy chest;… And tumble up and down what thou find’st there.
1652. Cotterell, Cassandra, III. (1676), 49. Tumbling over a thousand several designs in his head.
1737. [S. Berington], G. di Lucca’s Mem., To Rdr. (1738), 12. The Custom-House Officers at Marseilles … tumbled over his Effects at a very rude Rate.
1823. Byron, Juan, XIII. cii. The elderly walk’d through the library, And tumbled books.
9. To handle roughly or indelicately; to touse, tousle; to upset the arrangement of (anything neat or orderly); to disorder, rumple; to disarrange by tossing: e.g., to tumble bedclothes, a bed, or dress.
1602. Shaks., Ham., IV. v. 62. Quoth she before you tumbled me, You promis’d me to Wed.
1698. Vanbrugh, Prov. Wife, V. iii. To deliver up her fair body, to be tumbled and mumbled by … Heartfree.
1715. Lady M. W. Montagu, Town Eclogues, Tuesday. Her night-cloaths tumbled with resistless grace.
1726. B. Church, Hist. Philip’s War (1867), II. 24. The ground being much tumbled with them.
a. 1732. Gay, Rehearsal at Goatham, 1. How frightfully he hath tumbled me.
1825. Scott, Talism., ix. Lay me the couch more fairly, it is tumbled like a stormy sea.
10. intr. fig. or in fig. context; esp. To come by chance, stumble, blunder into, on, upon.
1565. T. Stapleton, Fortr. Faith, 56 b. A sorte of Christians, called papistes, which were tombled themselues in idolatry, blindnesse, and superstition.
1632. Lithgow, Trav., I. 38. [We] tumbled in by chance, Alla capello Ruosso.
1706. E. Ward, Wooden World Diss. (1708), 90. If he had not tumbl’d into a Ship, he had long ago dropt from the Gallows.
1874. Lisle Carr, Jud. Gwynne, I. ii. 47. After hunting for you everywhere … here I tumble on you amidst the howling wilderness of Furrowshire.
1903. Morley, Gladstone, I. 428. The impossible parliament had tumbled into a great war.
b. fig. To understand something not clearly expressed; to perceive or apprehend a hidden design or signal. Const. to. slang.
1851. Mayhew, Lond. Labour, I. 15/1. The high words in a tragedy we call jaw-breakers, and say we can’t tumble to that barrikin.
1889. Opelousas (LA) Democrat, 4 Feb., 3/4. The clerk smiled rather wickedly as he gave it to me, but I didn’t tumble worth a cent.
1889. H. O’Reilly, 50 Yrs. on Trail, 375. I didn’t tumble to this for a long time.
c. To fall in with, agree to; to take a liking or fancy to. slang.
1887. E. J. Goodman, Too Curious, xvii. He did not like the idea at first; but he tumbled to it at last.
1892. Daily News, 21 April, 2/1. But the British public, in the slang of the day, ‘tumbles’ to a man who refuses anything good.
III. 11. intr. Of the sides of a ship: To incline or slope inwards, to contract above the point of extreme breadth; to batter. Usually tumble home. Opposed to FLARE v. 4 a. Also transf.
a. 1687. Petty, Treat. Naval Philos., I. ii. Let the supernatant sides of a Ship so much tumble … as that the said sides may remain perpendicular when the Ship stoops.
1711. W. Sutherland, Shipbuild. Assist., 165. Tumbling home; when the Ship-side declines from a Perpendicular upwards, or, as some call it, houses in.
1761. H. Walpole, Lett. to G. Montagu, 28 April. Old Newcastle, whose teeth are tumbled out, and his mouth tumbled in.
1848. T. White, Ship Build., 39. The upper works usually incline towards the middle line, or as it is termed ‘tumble home.’
12. trans. Carpentry. See quot.
1823. P. Nicholson, Pract. Build., 120. Tumbling in a Joist, is to frame a joist between two timbers, of which the sides, which ought to be vertical or square to the upper edges, are oblique to these edges.
1856. Brees, Gloss. Terms, s.v., The purlines are sometimes tumbled in … between the sides of the principals of a roof.
13. Mech. To mix, cleanse, or polish in a tumbling-box. Cf. TUMBLER 13 e.
1884. Wahl. Galvanoplastic Manip. 529 (Cent. Dict.). Small castings can be tumbled and thus deprived of much of their adhering scale and sand.
