luge

[ loozh ]

/ luʒ /

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noun

a one- or two-person sled for coasting or racing down a chute, used especially in Europe.

verb (used without object), luged, lug·ing.

to go or race on a luge: to luge at nearly 70 miles per hour.

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THINGAMABOB OR THINGUMMY: CAN YOU DISTINGUISH BETWEEN THE US AND UK TERMS IN THIS QUIZ?

Do you know the difference between everyday US and UK terminology? Test yourself with this quiz on words that differ across the Atlantic.

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In the UK, COTTON CANDY is more commonly known as…

candystring

candyfloss

candypuff

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Origin of luge

Borrowed into English from dialectal French around 1900–05

OTHER WORDS FROM luge

luger, noun

Words nearby luge

lug, Luganda, Lugano, Lugansk, Lugar, luge, Luger, lug foresail, luggage, luggage van, lugger

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

MORE ABOUT LUGE

What does luge mean?

Luge is a sport in which racers ride a sled (also called a luge) feetfirst down an ice-covered chute with the goal of reaching the finish line as quickly as possible.

The sport is sometimes also called luge sledding. Luge is an event in the Winter Olympics. It has traditionally featured solo racers, but there are also doubles luge events, in which two racers ride on the same sled, and relay events.

Luge is known as one of the sliding sports, along with skeleton and bobsleigh (also called bobsled), which take place on a similar course. In luge, racers ride on their backs, in contrast with skeleton, in which racers lie on their stomachs.

Luge is known for its high speeds, often exceeding 80 mph (129 km/h).

Luging is also sometimes done on natural courses.

Example: Luge is one of my favorite winter sports to watch because each run lasts only minutes.

Where does luge come from?

The word luge was borrowed into English from dialectical French and comes from the French word for “sled.” The first records of its use in English come from the early 1900s.

Luging developed as a kind of extreme form of sledding. The modern sport of luge began in the late 1800s in Switzerland.

Luge was added as an event at the Winter Olympics in 1964 and has been featured at every Winter Games since. A relay event was added in 2014.

Did you know ... ?

What are some other forms related to luge?

luger (noun)
luging (continuous tense verb, noun)

What are some synonyms for luge (the sport)?

luge sledding
luging
lugeing

What are some words that often get used in discussing luge?

How is luge used in real life?

Luge is most popular in mountainous European countries like Switzerland, where the sport was developed. It is perhaps best known as an event in the Winter Olympics.

MEDAL ALERT | Canada slides to gold in luge team relay https://t.co/OGPbqcDX3G pic.twitter.com/uG4eJyblyO

— CBC Olympics (@CBCOlympics) February 21, 2016

Me: I’ve never watched luge. I know nothing about it.

Me 20 minutes later: Turns 9 through 12 are really the key to victory. He’s taking them too high. Why doesn’t he listen to me??#olympics

— Harlan Coben (@HarlanCoben) February 12, 2018

Really admire people who luge. They're the kids who said "I want to be a pro sled-rider when I grow up!" and actually went through with it.

— brandon wenerd (@brandonwenerd) February 12, 2014

Try using luge!

Luge comes from a French word meaning what?

A. mountain
B. slope
C. ice
D. sled

How to use luge in a sentence

Even the worst team in the country likely has some alumni downing liquor from an ice luge outside the stadium.
The Perfect College Football Tailgate|Josh Planos|October 4, 2022|FiveThirtyEight
Sports like skeleton, luge, ski jumping, and bobsleigh require tracks that are often only found in former Olympic host cities.
Entry-level costs of starting a Winter Olympic sport|Clarisa Diaz|February 11, 2022|Quartz
Much of the excitement of a luge run is easy to miss—the athletes’ movements are often too small to notice as they fly by looking like nothing more than a blur on your television.
Olympic sledders fly down the ice with a few slick tricks|John Eric Goff/The Conversation|February 7, 2022|Popular-Science
Speed alone may be the factor that draws many sports fans to the bobsled, luge, and skeleton events at this year’s Beijing Winter Olympics.
Olympic sledders fly down the ice with a few slick tricks|John Eric Goff/The Conversation|February 7, 2022|Popular-Science

Hurtling downhill with skis locked parallel in a deep, slick groove is like the Olympic luge where the only medal is getting to the car without busting your lip on a branch.
Who Has the Right of Way on the Skin Track?|Sundog|March 26, 2021|Outside Online
Of course, the same is true of luge and that only lasts three minutes.
DUP-Up To a Point: Oops, I Enjoyed Soccer|P. J. O’Rourke|July 13, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Downhill track sports like luge are technology battles, as exciting as a NASCAR qualifying day.
The Stench of Sochi|Alex Berenson|February 12, 2014|DAILY BEAST
The youngest member of the US luge team, 18-year-old Tucker West, deserves some attention, too.
Media Coverage of Olympic Terror Threats Shines Spotlight on Wrong Players|Dean Obeidallah|February 3, 2014|DAILY BEAST
He spent a year building a mini luge track with his father in their backyard in Connecticut.
Media Coverage of Olympic Terror Threats Shines Spotlight on Wrong Players|Dean Obeidallah|February 3, 2014|DAILY BEAST
There are also certainly examples among skeleton and luge of supreme achievement, limited experience notwithstanding.
Is It Really That Easy to be an Olympic Bobsledder?|Kevin Fixler|January 17, 2014|DAILY BEAST
We went suddenly round a corner, and quietly and without any fuss whatever Simpson left his luge and rolled on to the track.
Once a Week|Alan Alexander Milne
Denry, whom nothing could induce to desert his luge, said that obviously "s-k-i" could only spell "planks."
The Card, A Story Of Adventure In The Five Towns|Arnold Bennett
Skates were well-behaved old horses compared to these long, untamed fiends, and a luge was like a tricycle.
The Card, A Story Of Adventure In The Five Towns|Arnold Bennett
And the child turned up the hill with her luge, leaving her elders to unknot the situation.
The Card, A Story Of Adventure In The Five Towns|Arnold Bennett
Luge propter amorem Jesu Christi, sponsi tui, quosque eum videre possis.
The Essence of Christianity|Ludwig Feuerbach

British Dictionary definitions for luge

luge

/ (luːʒ) /

noun

a racing toboggan on which riders lie on their backs, descending feet first

verb

(intr) to ride on a luge

Word Origin for luge

C20: from French

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

luge

Origin of luge

OTHER WORDS FROM luge

Words nearby luge

MORE ABOUT LUGE

What does luge mean?

Where does luge come from?

Did you know ... ?

How is luge used in real life?

Try using luge!

Words related to luge

How to use luge in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for luge

Word Origin for luge