Definitions

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.

  • noun The inward curve of a ship's topsides.

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

  • noun nautical The inward curve of the topsides of some ship hulls.

Etymologies

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 4th Edition

[From tumble, to slope inward (obsolete).]

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License

tumble +‎ home?

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Examples

  • They feature composite materials, an electric-drive propulsion and an unconventional "tumblehome" hull.

    City 2009

  • The Flex's boxy body -- which I find attractive (but my wife hates) -- has a lot more cargo room than the tumblehome greenhouse of the Lincoln.

    2010 Lincoln MKT: Towing with EcoBoost 2010

  • The Flex's boxy body -- which I find attractive but my wife hates -- has a lot more cargo room than the tumblehome greenhouse of the Lincoln.

    2010 Lincoln MKT: Towing with EcoBoost 2010

  • Other shallops were more bowl-shaped with rounded bows, molded sides and tumblehome.

    Champlain's Dream David Hackett Fischer 2008

  • Other shallops were more bowl-shaped with rounded bows, molded sides and tumblehome.

    Champlain's Dream David Hackett Fischer 2008

  • This time next week, I will tell all of my faithful readers what the following are: beakhead knightheads scantlings (sounds like a nice title for a novel ...) tumblehome (so does that) bulwark

    Learning about boats lili 2006

  • This time next week, I will tell all of my faithful readers what the following are: beakhead knightheads scantlings (sounds like a nice title for a novel ...) tumblehome (so does that) bulwark

    Archive 2006-06-01 lili 2006

  • However, the has-relief engraving was still hidden from view by the tumblehome of the cliff.

    The Seventh Scroll Smith, Wilbur 1995

  • A fair try at a tumblehome you made, for a first ever - but do you so still, without a cannon at your bum, or my blade? '

    The Gates of Noon Rohan, Michael Scott, 1951- 1992

  • Captain Bampfylde climbed the Cavalier's tumblehome.

    Sharpe's Siege Cornwell, Bernard 1987

Comments

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  • "A nautical term referring to the inward lean of gunwales on sailing ships, adapted to coachbuilding. Specifically relates to the inward lean of roof pillars from their beltline base to the edge of the roof panel."

    "Tumble What? The strange and baffling world of car design-speak explained." Automobile, August 2007: 125.

    August 25, 2007

  • "The Worcester was a wall-sided ship and the way into her was a series of very shallow smooth wet slippery steps that rose vertically from the waterline, with no comfortable tumblehome, no inward slope, to help the pilgrim on his way..."

    --Patrick O'Brian, The Ionian Mission, 28

    March 3, 2008

  • "This took a considerable time, and Stephen looked steadily about him, examining the cabin from side to side: it was like a larger version of the Desaix's stateroom (how glad he was the Desaix was safe) and it, too, was singularly beautiful and full of light – the same range of curved stern-windows, the same inward-leaning side-walls (the ship's tumblehome, in fact) and the same close, massive white-painted beams overhead in extraordinarily long pure curves right across from one side to another: a room in which common domestic geometry had no say."

    Master and Commander by Patrick O'Brian, p 407 of the Norton paperback edition

    July 18, 2019