Word of the Day

[glennagirl.livejournal.com]

MONDAY, MARCH 9

Gambol

[GAM-bəl]Part of speech: verb

Origin: italian, early 16th century

• Run or jump about playfully.
• (British English) Do a forward roll.

Examples of Gambol in a sentence

• I love watching the squirrels gambol and play when I take my lunch in the park.
• The gymnastics routine included a gambol and two cartwheels.

About Gambol

Gambol can be used as both a verb and a noun. As a verb you’re skipping and frisking about, without a care in the world. When you want to give a name to those movements, gambol is used as a noun. The same verb/noun distinction applies to the British sense of gambol, which concerns a forward roll.

Did you Know?

The French word “gambade” originally meant the frolicking prances of a horse. When gambol moved over to English, the playful jumps were applied to humans and equines alike.

Comments

[jantojones.livejournal.com]

I have honestly never heard gambol used in relation to a forward roll. The only context in which I've heard it is when talking about lambs gamboling in the fields.

[pfrye.livejournal.com]

Illya Kuryakin and Napoleon Solo were taking their lunch hour in Central Park. They both felt the need to enjoy some sunshine, fresh air and a hot dog or two. As they wandered through the park Illya found himself fighting the urge to take his shoes off, run and gambol through the grass like he did as a child before the war.

Napoleon looked at his partner and noticed the wistful smile on his face, "what are you thinking about tovarich?"

"Nothing really, just some childhood memories of spring days, running barefoot in the grass."

"Let's do it!"

"I think not my friend."

"I will if you will partner." Napoleon laughed.

"I wont."

Napoleon smiled and shrugged as they continued their walk. Illya still had his wistful smile on his face.