Advertisement

tumbler (n.)

mid-14c., "acrobat," agent noun from tumble (v.). Compare Old English tumbere "tumbler, dancer." A fem. form was tumblester (early 15c.), tumbester (late 14c.) "female acrobatic dancer." Meaning "drinking glass" is recorded from 1660s, originally a glass with a rounded or pointed bottom which would cause it to "tumble;" thus it could not be set down until it was empty. As a part of a lock mechanism, from 1670s.

Others are reading

Advertisement
Definitions of tumbler from WordNet

tumbler (n.)
a gymnast who performs rolls and somersaults and twists etc.;
tumbler (n.)
a glass with a flat bottom but no handle or stem; originally had a round bottom;
tumbler (n.)
a movable obstruction in a lock that must be adjusted to a given position (as by a key) before the bolt can be thrown;
tumbler (n.)
pigeon that executes backward somersaults in flight or on the ground;
Synonyms: roller / tumbler pigeon
From wordnet.princeton.edu