Definitions
from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.
- adjective Being in such bad repair as to seem in danger of collapsing; very dilapidated or rickety.
from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.
- adjective in
disrepair ; poorlymaintained
Etymologies
from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License
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Examples
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As well might we speak of a "tumbledown" habit in a row of houses, brought on by locomotives running underneath their foundations.
Moral Philosophy Joseph Rickaby 1888
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According to the Telegraph, the "Abbey of Thelema" near the town of Cefalu is on the market for €1. 5m, and for your money you get a "tumbledown" property with some interesting interior decor.
The Register 2010
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All I can say is I have half a dozen poor little tumbledown shacks that petered out at Chapter 7.
SOLVED: The Outlining vs. Organic Writing Debate | Write to Done 2009
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I know it better from experiencing my own reactions, when I get into a tumbledown political fight.
Canada 2009
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Climbing back up the steps and continuing west, we find some tumbledown shacks at the top of the path leading to the slipway.
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She was sitting on a stool, with her tumbledown curly black hair, playing her guitar and singing true soul.
Fallin’ Up Steve Dennis 2011
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I came upon a small clearing and a tumbledown cabin.
The Night-Born 2010
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She was sitting on a stool, with her tumbledown curly black hair, playing her guitar and singing true soul.
Fallin’ Up Steve Dennis 2011
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She was sitting on a stool, with her tumbledown curly black hair, playing her guitar and singing true soul.
Fallin’ Up Steve Dennis 2011
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And to think I can remember when SoHo was a bunch of tumbledown loft buildings and starving artists.
Glowing, if Roughed Up Ralph Gardner Jr. 2011
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