tum|bler

tum|bler «TUHM bluhr», noun.

1. a person who performs leaps, springs, somersaults, and other feats; acrobat.

2. a drinking glass without a stem, and with a heavy, flat bottom.

3. the contents of such a glass: »

to drink a tumbler of water.

4. the part of a lock that must be moved from a certain position in order to release the bolt. The tumbler is kept in position by a spring and has projections which drop into notches in the bolt and hold it until lifted by the proper key.

5. the part of a gunlock that forces the hammer forward when the trigger is pulled.

6. a kind of domestic pigeon that performs aerial acrobatics including backward somersaults while in flight; roller.

7. a toy figure with a low center of gravity and rounded base, that rocks when touched but rights itself.

8. a) a revolving box or barrel in which things are polished; tumbling box. b) a person who operates such an apparatus.

9. any one of a breed of dogs similar to small greyhounds, formerly used to catch rabbits.

10. a part in an automobile transmission that moves a gear into place.

11. a piece projecting from a shaft and actuating a cam or other device.

12. = tumble dryer. (Cf. ↑tumble dryer)

13. Dialect. tumbrel.