sleigh
Americannoun
-
sleighs
plural
-
a light vehicle on runners, usually open and generally horse-drawn, used especially for transporting persons over snow or ice.
-
a sled.
verb (used without object)
noun
verb
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Etymology
Origin of sleigh
Explanation
A sleigh is a large sled that's pulled by horses, or in the case of Santa Claus, by reindeer. A sleigh is usually big enough for at least two passengers to ride in. Most sleighs travel across snow or ice, sliding on smooth runners, and are pulled by one or more horses. In Britain, this is more often called a sledge, or sometimes a sled. In North America, a sled is much smaller than a sleigh, and it's used for fun rather than transportation. Sleigh comes from the Dutch slee.
Vocabulary lists containing sleigh
Joy To The Word: Christmas Terms
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Let's Go Caroling, List 3
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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.
See Examples For:
And at the end of it all, Colbert flew off in Santa’s sleigh toting his prized Captain America shield, with unicorn Abraham Lincoln and “Jeopardy!” host Alex Trebek, the man with all the answers.
From Salon ● May 21, 2026
Low trading volumes can also bring volatility, as relatively little selling may spark outsize moves, so investors should be ready for bumps on any sleigh ride to a year-end rally.
From Barron's ● Dec. 24, 2025
So too is Richard, whose only big purchase was a Santa in a sleigh with reindeer standing less than 4 feet tall.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Dec. 5, 2025
The sketch then featured festive trees and sleigh bells ringing, with the duke telling Colbert to "just believe".
From BBC ● Dec. 4, 2025
The damaged silk sleigh had been hauled back to its pavilion, and there it lay forlorn, one pontoon deflated.
From "Strange the Dreamer" by Laini Taylor
Mr Cook asked motorists to "exercise extreme caution and vigilance" on the roads, "especially around Santa sleighs as there are often families and children crossing the roads nearby".
From BBC ● Dec. 22, 2023
Next we anchor the larger elements to the tree: a jolly Santa, fur-trimmed sleighs of varying sizes and showers of galvanized bells.
From Seattle Times ● Dec. 6, 2022
In her article, Hamill researched the origins of "Jingle Bells," its composer, James L. Pierpont, and other songs about sleighs that appeared during the mid-1800s.
From Fox News ● Jan. 2, 2022
We stared in somewhat stupefied awe at toy trains chugging around sugar-snow-dusted mini-Swiss Alps under flying Santa sleighs and traded longings.
From New York Times ● Nov. 25, 2020
Soulzeren and Ozwin for reaching it in their silk sleighs.
From "Strange the Dreamer" by Laini Taylor
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.
