sledge

[ slej ]

/ slɛdʒ /

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR sledge ON THESAURUS.COM

noun

a vehicle of various forms, mounted on runners and often drawn by draft animals, used for traveling or for conveying loads over snow, ice, rough ground, etc.

a sled.

British. a sleigh.

verb (used with or without object), sledged, sledg·ing.

to convey or travel by sledge.

verb (used without object), sledged, sledg·ing.

British. to sleigh.

RELATED WORDS

bobsled, luge, toboggan, dogsled

Nearby words

Origin of sledge

1595–1605; < dialectal Dutch sleeds, derivative of slede sled; cf. sleigh¹

Can be confusedsled sledge sleigh

Definition for sledge (2 of 2)

sledge

[ slej ]

/ slɛdʒ /

noun, verb (used with or without object), sledged, sledg·ing.

sledgehammer(defs 1, 2).

Origin of sledge

before 1000; Middle English slegge, Old English slecg; cognate with Dutch slegge, Old Norse sleggja; akin to slay

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for sledge

Webb made his clay from ancient bricks that he found on walks in Brooklyn, then smashed to a powder with a sledge hammer.
The Fine Art of Recycling|Blake Gopnik|January 14, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Americans love winners and they love underdogs, and when we took a sledge hammer to kill ants, people turned against us.
The GOP’s Kamikazes Are Back|Eleanor Clift|June 22, 2013|DAILY BEAST
On December 21 the load on the sledge was stripped down to tent, dip-circle, theodolite, cooker and a little food.
The Home of the Blizzard|Douglas Mawson
In my hurry I collide with Hanssen's sledge, which falls off the table; he looks round furiously.
The South Pole, Volumes 1 and 2|Roald Amundsen

The drivers could sit on the sledge and jog along at ease if they chose.
South!|Sir Ernest Shackleton
There were many men there that day who shook their heads and spoke in low voices, mentioning Sledge Hume's name.
The Short Cut|Jackson Gregory
After a moment Sam began to sort the contents of the sledge, casting aside all but the necessities.
The Silent Places|Steward Edward White

British Dictionary definitions for sledge (1 of 3)

sledge

esp US and Canadian sled (slɛd)

/ (slɛdʒ) /

noun

Also called: sleigh a vehicle mounted on runners, drawn by horses or dogs, for transporting people or goods, esp over snow

a light wooden frame used, esp by children, for sliding over snow; toboggan

NZ a farm vehicle mounted on runners, for use on rough or muddy ground

verb

to convey, travel, or go by sledge

Derived Formssledger, noun

Word Origin for sledge

C17: from Middle Dutch sleedse; C14 sled, from Middle Low German, from Old Norse slethi, related to slide

British Dictionary definitions for sledge (2 of 3)

sledge

/ (slɛdʒ) /

noun

short for sledgehammer

British Dictionary definitions for sledge (3 of 3)

sledge

/ (slɛdʒ) /

verb

(tr) to bait (an opponent, esp a batsman in cricket) in order to upset his concentration

noun

an insult aimed at another player during a game of cricket

Word Origin for sledge

of uncertain origin; perhaps from sledgehammer

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

Word Origin and History for sledge (1 of 2)

sledge

n.1

"heavy hammer," Old English slecg "hammer, mallet," from Proto-Germanic *slagjo- (cf. Old Norse sleggja, Middle Swedish sleggia "sledgehammer"), related to slege "beating, blow, stroke" and slean "to strike" (see slay (v.)). Sledgehammer is pleonastic.

Word Origin and History for sledge (1 of 2)

sledge

n.2

"sleigh," 1610s, from dialectal Dutch sleedse, variant of slede (see sled (n.)); said by OED to be perhaps of Frisian origin.