A Tumbler Could Not Stand Up
To tumble is to fall clumsily. A drinking tumbler got its name because its rounded base meant it would not stand until emptied.
To tumble is to fall end over end. A drinking *tumbler* is named for the same reason: early ones had rounded or pointed bases and could not be set down until they were empty, so they tumbled over. The word also names an acrobat, and the part of a lock that falls into place when the right key turns.
- To fall clumsily. *He tumbled down the steps.*
- To drop sharply. *Share prices tumbled.*
- A flat-bottomed glass. *A whisky tumbler.*
- An acrobat. *Tumblers opened the show.*
- Tumble dryer — a rotating clothes dryer. *In the tumble dryer.*
Word forms
| Form | Word | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Verb | tumble | Tumble over. |
| Past | tumbled | It tumbled down. |
| Noun | tumble | A nasty tumble. |
| Agent | tumbler | A glass tumbler. |
| Compound | tumbledown | A tumbledown cottage. |
- She took a tumble on the ice.A fall.
- Two tumblers and a jug.Glassware.
- The tumblers clicked and the lock opened.Locks.
How a pin tumbler lock works
- Pins of different heights block the cylinder from turning
- The right key pushes each pin to exactly the right level
- The shear line is where the pins align and the cylinder turns
- Wrong key leaves at least one pin crossing the line
- The name comes from the pins falling, or tumbling, into place
Middle English *tumblen*, a frequentative of Old English *tumbian*, to dance or leap. The glass sense is recorded from the 1600s.
Why is a glass called a tumbler?
Because early ones had rounded bases and would tip over if put down full. The name stayed after the flat base arrived.
What are the tumblers in a lock?
The pins or discs that must be raised to the correct height before the cylinder will turn.