sleigh

American  

[sley] / sleɪ /

noun

• sleighs
  plural

1. a light vehicle on runners, usually open and generally horse-drawn, used especially for transporting persons over snow or ice.

2. a sled.

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verb (used without object)

1. to travel or ride in a sleigh.

sleigh British  

/ sleɪ /

noun

1. another name for sledge 1

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verb

1. (intr) to travel by sleigh

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• sleigher
  noun

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• sleighs
  plural

Etymology

Origin of sleigh

1690–1700, < Dutch slee, variant of slede sled; cf. slide

Explanation

A sleigh is a large sled that's pulled by horses, or in the case of Santa Claus, by reindeer. A sleigh is usually big enough for at least two passengers to ride in. Most sleighs travel across snow or ice, sliding on smooth runners, and are pulled by one or more horses. In Britain, this is more often called a sledge, or sometimes a sled. In North America, a sled is much smaller than a sleigh, and it's used for fun rather than transportation. Sleigh comes from the Dutch slee.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

sleigh sleighs

But a few years ago it posted a digitally-altered image on its Facebook page depicting Santa’s sleigh taking off from its deck.

From Salon ● Dec. 24, 2025

Low trading volumes can also bring volatility, as relatively little selling may spark outsize moves, so investors should be ready for bumps on any sleigh ride to a year-end rally.

From Barron's ● Dec. 24, 2025

Trying to squeeze in cookie baking, holiday parties, Christmas movies and picturesque sleigh rides?

From Los Angeles Times ● Dec. 8, 2025

So too is Richard, whose only big purchase was a Santa in a sleigh with reindeer standing less than 4 feet tall.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Dec. 5, 2025

When the bride and groom had driven off in their sleigh toward the snug new house that awaited them, the guests turned back to the laden tables.

From "The Witch of Blackbird Pond" by Elizabeth George Speare

Mr Cook asked motorists to "exercise extreme caution and vigilance" on the roads, "especially around Santa sleighs as there are often families and children crossing the roads nearby".

From BBC ● Dec. 22, 2023

Next we anchor the larger elements to the tree: a jolly Santa, fur-trimmed sleighs of varying sizes and showers of galvanized bells.

From Seattle Times ● Dec. 6, 2022

In her article, Hamill researched the origins of "Jingle Bells," its composer, James L. Pierpont, and other songs about sleighs that appeared during the mid-1800s.

From Fox News ● Jan. 2, 2022

It warned of treacherous travel conditions for those not aboard airborne sleighs.

From Reuters ● Dec. 24, 2016

Tod’s umbrage rendered him momentarily speechless, during which pause Soulzeren interjected, “Be faster to fly, anyway. We can have the silk sleighs ready in a few days.”

From "Strange the Dreamer" by Laini Taylor