sled
Americannoun
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a small vehicle consisting of a platform mounted on runners for use in traveling over snow or ice.
-
a sledge.
verb (used without object)
verb (used with object)
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of sled
1350–1400; Middle English sledde < Middle Dutch; akin to German Schlitten sled, sleigh; cf. slide
Explanation
If you want to slide down a snowy hill, hop on a sled! A sled can be simple and plastic, or it can be more complicated, with wood and metal runners, like the kind that huskies pull across the tundra. Mush! Sleds sit on runners made to glide over an icy or snowy surface. Large sleds can seat several riders and are pulled by one or more horses, while dog sleds pull one or two people and are usually pulled by several dogs. The sled you get out of the garage in the winter is made of plastic, wood, or metal, and it's meant to slide fast downhill. In the U.K., the word for a sled is sledge.
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
The actor added that he imagined turning the fictional home into a “movie fun house” where people could sled down the stairs just like Kevin does in the movie.
From MarketWatch • Mar. 2, 2026
“The first responsibility is pushing the sled as fast as I can, together with my pilot,” she said in a German accent and near-flawless English.
From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 16, 2026
Only one person competes, pushing the sled at the start and piloting down the course at speeds of 70 to 80 mph.
From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 16, 2026
But he did not necessarily expect to be pushing a sled at another Winter Olympics.
From BBC • Feb. 14, 2026
I think this was largely because he looked like a sled dog should look—like a Sergeant Preston kind of sled dog.
From "Woodsong" by Gary Paulsen
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
