tumblehome

Etymology

From tumble + home.

tumblehome means The inward curve of the topsides of some ship hulls; the term was also used for rolling stock on railways in Britain. Lexicurio rates it Sui generis — a strength score of 87 out of 100.

Why this word is great

TUMBLEHOME — [Noun] The inward curvature of a ship's hull above the waterline, narrowing the deck relative to the beam, or a similar architectural or vehicular form. From the verb tumble, in the sense of 'to fall' or 'to slope,' + home, in the nautical sense of 'inward' or 'toward the center.' Unlike "flare" (which swells outward in brash anticipation of the sea) or "wallsided" (which presents a sheer, defensive verticality), tumblehome is an act of elegant containment, a gracious recession from the world's edge. It is the subtle, concave shoulder of a clipper ship, the poised inward sweep of a Venetian gondola, or the tapered grace of vintage automobile coachwork—a geometry of quiet resilience that gathers its mass inward against the prevailing void.

noun

The inward curve of the topsides of some ship hulls; the term was also used for rolling stock on railways in Britain.“The bodysides have a gentle tumblehome, which gives the machine impressive solidarity of appearance, well set off by the new B.R. standard livery of light-skirted green.”