bobsled

American  

[bob-sled] / ˈbɒbˌslɛd /

noun

1. a sled having two pairs of runners, a brake, and a steering wheel or other mechanism that enables the front rider to direct the sled down a steeply banked run or chute.

2. a sled formed of two short sleds coupled one behind the other.

3. either of the sleds thus coupled.

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verb (used without object)

bobsledded, bobsledding

1. to ride on a bobsled.

Usage

What is bobsled? Bobsled is a sport in which racers ride a sled known as a bobsled (or bobsleigh) down an ice-covered chute with the goal of reaching the finish line as quickly as possible.The term bobsled is more commonly used (for both the event and the sled) in the U.S. and Canada, but bobsleigh is the official name of the event in the Winter Olympics. The sport is sometimes casually referred to as bobsledding.Bobsled competitions often involve teams of two or four, but there are also individual events. The one-person bobsled event is called monobob. (A women’s monobob event was added to the Winter Olympics in 2022.)Bobsleds consist of a tubelike structure on runners with a steering mechanism and brakes. At the start of each heat, the racer or racers push the bobsleigh to gain speed before jumping inside, with the rider at the front handling steering.Bobsled is known as one of the sliding sports, along with luge and skeleton. Those take place on a similar course, but racers in those events ride on top of their sled (feetfirst in luge, headfirst in skeleton), rather than inside of it like in bobsled.Bobsled is known for its high speeds, often nearing 100 mph (161 km/h).Example: I think bobsled is thrilling—and the start might be the most exciting part!

Other Word Forms

• bobsledder noun

Etymology

Origin of bobsled

An Americanism dating back to 1830–40; bob ² + sled

Example Sentences

While all share the commonality of being unconventional competitors in a space where they’re considered to be a rarity, bobsledding and ski jumping originated as European sports.

From Salon

The Swedish bid centered on Stockholm planned to use a bobsled track across the Baltic Sea in Latvia.

From Seattle Times

The British prince did two runs on one of the world’s fastest bobsled tracks, which also hosts skeleton races.

From Seattle Times

Organizers said that as well as the cost of the much-debated bobsled track in Cortina and other construction work, the mountains were being destroyed as hundreds of trees were being cut down.

From Seattle Times

The sleepy socialist town built new alpine and Nordic ski trails, ski jumps, bobsled and luge runs, a skating rink, dozens of apartment blocks and numerous hotels.

From Seattle Times

Related Words

• luge