headforemost

’Twere best at once to sink to peace, ⁠Like birds the charming serpent draws, ⁠To drop head-foremost in the jaws Of vacant darkness and to cease.

1850, [Alfred, Lord Tennyson], “Canto XXXIV”, in In Memoriam, London: Edward Moxon, […], →OCLC, page 53

Exerting all his remaining strength he rushed down the bank, dropped his rifle, and plunged headforemost into the stream.

1894, Robert Michael Ballantyne, The Dog Crusoe and His Master

Quick, or I'll land you headforemost in that pond, you infernal old hag!"

1912, B. M. Bower, Good Indian

Just then there came a loud crash and an ominous rumbling and pounding from the heart of the ship—her machinery had broken loose, and was dashing its way toward the bow, tearing out partitions and bulkheads as it went—the stern rose rapidly high above them; for a moment she seemed to pause there—a vertical shaft protruding from the bosom of the ocean, and then swiftly she dove headforemost beneath the waves.

1913, Edgar Rice Burroughs, The Return of Tarzan, New York: Ballantine Books, published 1963, page 116