toboggan

1 of 2

noun

to·​bog·​gan tə-ˈbä-gən How to pronounce toboggan (audio)
1
: a long flat-bottomed light sled made usually of thin boards curved up at one end with usually low handrails at the sides
2
: a downward course or a sharp decline
3
chiefly Southern US and Midland US : stocking cap

Illustration of toboggan

Illustration of toboggan
  • toboggan 1

toboggan

2 of 2

verb

tobogganed; tobogganing; toboggans

intransitive verb

1
: to coast on or as if on a toboggan
2
: to decline suddenly and sharply
tobogganer noun
tobogganist noun

Examples of toboggan in a Sentence

Verb The kids tobogganed down the hill.
Recent Examples on the Web
Noun
Save on sleds shaped like sleighs, snowmobiles, toboggans, and more. Nicola Fumo, Peoplemag, 5 Jan. 2024 Snow tubes, toboggans, saucers, and more types of sleds for kids of all ages. Heather Balogh Rochfort, Parents, 26 Feb. 2024 So his partners made a toboggan out of a tarp and slid him downhill to a flat area where another member of the party had started a bonfire using gasoline and an emergency flare to burn green wood. Brett French, Idaho Statesman, 31 Jan. 2024 The resort has hosted the Winter Olympics twice, and is home to the Cresta Run (a natural ice skeleton racing toboggan track), an Olympic bobsleigh run (the only natural ice bobsleigh run in the world), and an outdoor Olympic ice rink. Monica Mendal, Vogue, 14 Feb. 2024 Saucers and snow tubes are usually meant to be ridden solo whereas toboggans can be designed for multi-person use. Jessica MacDonald, Travel + Leisure, 12 Dec. 2023 The attraction involves riding a ski-lift-type gondola up the mountain, hopping onto a toboggan — basically a sled with wheels — and riding down a metal chute. Laurel Rosenhall, Los Angeles Times, 26 Oct. 2023 Lap up Lapland’s lively diversions, such as wilderness sled and sledge rides pulled by snowmobiles, reindeers or husky dogs; toboggan slides; snow-shoeing hikes; wool-sock nature walks; kick and fat bike outings; and ice water floats (while wearing buoyant brrr-thwarting wetsuits). Laura Manske, Forbes, 7 Mar. 2023 Patrollers must be able to ski an 80-pound toboggan loaded with a large adult to safety. Karin Brulliard, Anchorage Daily News, 17 Mar. 2023
Verb
By the end of their nine-hour workday, the red-jacketed patrollers had tobogganed out multiple knee injuries and a broken ankle, responded to a few crashes with trees and patched one bloody chin. Karin Brulliard, Anchorage Daily News, 17 Mar. 2023 Brandon Smith bought Legion FC toboggans for himself and his 10-year-old daughter from the merchandise tent. Cheryl Wray, al, 9 Feb. 2020 The backdrop of snowy evergreens makes the meadow a beautiful place to sled or toboggan. John Pana, cleveland, 9 Jan. 2020 Cost: See the Cleveland Metroparks’ tobogganing webpage for current information. John Pana, cleveland, 9 Jan. 2020 When not on assignment, Robbie can be found chasing adventures at home in the heart of the Alps, or photographing rock climbers on via ferrata, tobogganing competitions, and cultural events. National Geographic, 15 Sep. 2019 Edmond Lam takes his children tobogganing in Edmonton. Paolo Bosonin, WSJ, 26 Dec. 2018 To The Pathe Archives: Here’s the 1965 world tobogganing championship from Davos. Charles P. Pierce, Esquire, 26 Jan. 2018

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'toboggan.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Canadian French tobogan, of Algonquian origin; akin to Micmac tobâgun drag made of skin

First Known Use

Noun

circa 1820, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

1846, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of toboggan was circa 1820

Dictionary Entries Near toboggan

Cite this Entry

“Toboggan.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/toboggan. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

toboggan

1 of 2 noun
to·​bog·​gan tə-ˈbäg-ən How to pronounce toboggan (audio)
: a long light sled made without runners and curved up at the front

toboggan

2 of 2 verb
: to slide on a toboggan

More from Merriam-Webster on toboggan

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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