tumble
v.v. to fall down suddenly and quickly, often while turning over. You use this when someone loses their balance or when prices drop very fast.
v. to fall suddenly, clumsily, or headlong; often implies a rolling or turning motion during the descent. Frequently describes a rapid decline in value or quantity.
The toddler started to tumble toward the soft grass.
Stock prices began to tumble after the company released its disappointing quarterly earnings report.
The gymnast managed to tumble across the mat with incredible grace, though a slight stumble at the end cost her a perfect score.
From Middle English tumblen (“to fall over and over again, tumble”), frequentative of Middle English tumben (“to fall, leap, dance”), from Old English tumbian, from Proto-Germanic *tūmōną (“to turn, rotate”). Cognate with Middle Dutch tumelen (whence Dutch tuimelen), Middle Low German tumelen, tummelen, German taumeln and Danish tumle.
Intransitive when describing a physical fall or a drop in value; can be used with 'down' or 'over'.