Dictionary definition · tumble
noun
- an acrobatic feat of rolling or turning end over end
- a sudden drop from an upright position"he had a nasty spill on the ice"
verb
- fall down, as if collapsing"The tower of the World Trade Center tumbled after the plane hit it"
- cause to topple or tumble by pushing
- roll over and over, back and forth
- fly around"The clothes tumbled in the dryer"
- fall apart"the building crumbled after the explosion"
- throw together in a confused mass"They tumbled the teams with no apparent pattern"
- understand, usually after some initial difficulty"She didn't know what her classmates were plotting but finally caught on"
- fall suddenly and sharply"Prices tumbled after the devaluation of the currency"
- put clothes in a tumbling barrel, where they are whirled about in hot air, usually with the purpose of drying"Wash in warm water and tumble dry"
- suffer a sudden downfall, overthrow, or defeat
Source: Open English WordNet (CC BY 4.0).