bobsleigh

American  

[bob-sley] / ˈbɒbˌsleɪ /

noun

Chiefly British.

1. bobsled.

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bobsleigh British  

/ ˈbɒbˌsleɪ /

noun

1. a racing sledge for two or more people, with a steering mechanism enabling the driver to direct it down a steeply banked ice-covered run

2. 1. a sleigh made of two short sledges joined one behind the other

   2. one of these two short sledges

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verb

1. (intr) to ride on a bobsleigh

Usage

What is bobsleigh? Bobsleigh is a sport in which racers ride a sled known as a bobsleigh (or bobsled) 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. Bobsleigh competitions often involve teams of two or four, but there are also individual events. The one-person bobsleigh event is called monobob. (A women’s monobob event was added to the Winter Olympics in 2022.)Bobsleighs 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. Bobsleigh 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 bobsleigh. Bobsleigh is known for its high speeds, often nearing 100 mph (161 km/h). Example: I think bobsleigh is thrilling—and the start might be the most exciting part!

Etymology

Origin of bobsleigh

C19: _bob ² + _sleigh

Example Sentences

Team GB capped off a disappointing bobsleigh campaign at the Winter Olympics with a "devastating" seventh-place finish in the four-man bob event.

From BBC • Feb. 22, 2026

There was drama at the bobsleigh track when the Austrian four-man team overturned at high speed.

From Barron's • Feb. 21, 2026

Elana Meyers Taylor, an Olympian bobsleigh champion, also brought her two young sons this year, who she’s said travel with her everywhere.

From Salon • Feb. 18, 2026

Women’s bobsled — or bobsleigh, as Europeans call it — is a two-person operation with a pilot in front and brake woman in back.

From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 16, 2026

He recommended a pair of skis, or a bobsleigh; he could put a fine fall of snow into the negative.

From Punch, or the London Charivari, Volume 146, January 21, 1914 by Various