What does cartwheel mean?
A cartwheel is best known today as an acrobatic manoeuvre: a sideways, wheel-like rotation of the body in which the performer places the hands on the ground, kicks the legs overhead in turn, and lands back on the feet — a staple of gymnastics, dance, and playground play. The word originally referred simply to the wheel of a horse-drawn cart, and this older, more literal sense survives mainly in historical writing about wagons and carriages. As a verb, to cartwheel means either to perform such a gymnastic move or, more figuratively, to tumble or spin rapidly end-over-end, often applied to cars, aircraft, or people in dramatic falls. The word carries connotations of energy, exuberance, and youthful freedom — children doing cartwheels on lawns and beaches is a familiar image — but its verbal use can also evoke violent, uncontrolled motion in descriptions of accidents. Its compound origin, combining two plain English words, makes it easy to remember and vividly descriptive.
An acrobatic sideways rotational movement of the body through a full circle, supported alternately by the hands and feet, resembling the turning of a wheel; formerly, the wheel of a cart.
"Gymnasts learn to execute a clean cartwheel before attempting round-offs or aerial flips."
The gymnastic sense dominates modern usage; the cart-wheel sense appears chiefly in historical contexts.
To perform a cartwheel; to move by or as if by turning over rapidly in a wheel-like fashion.
"The lorry skidded on ice and cartwheeled down the embankment."
Standard plural; frequently used in the idiom 'do cartwheels' or 'turn cartwheels' to express exuberance or delight.
"Fans were doing cartwheels in the stands after the winning goal."
The gymnastic cartwheel is named after the wheel of a farm cart — because the body's motion literally traces the same rotating path as a wheel turning on its axle.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of cartwheel
Cartwheel is a straightforward compound of the Old Norse-derived 'cart' (from Old Norse 'kartr') and the Old English 'hwēol' ('wheel'), first attested in English in the late Middle Ages in its literal sense of a cart's wheel. The acrobatic sense arose later by direct analogy, since the body traces the circular path of a turning wheel; it became established in the 19th century alongside the growth of gymnastics and circus performance. The compound belongs to the same Germanic word-stock as related forms such as 'wheel' itself, which appears in many parallel compounds like 'waterwheel', 'pinwheel', and 'gearwheel'.
How cartwheel is actually used
As a noun, 'cartwheel' most commonly refers to the acrobatic move today; the sense of a cart's wheel is now largely historical. The verb form ('she cartwheeled down the slope') can also describe vehicles or objects tumbling over repeatedly, often in dramatic or accident contexts. In British slang from the mid-20th century, 'cartwheel' was once used for a large silver coin (a crown), though this usage is now rare.
Easily confused with cartwheel
A handstand is a stationary vertical pose balanced on the hands, whereas a cartwheel is a dynamic sideways rotational movement passing through the handstand position.