toboggan

American  

[tuh-bog-uhn] / təˈbɒg ən /

noun

1. a long, narrow, flat-bottomed sled made of a thin board curved upward and backward at the front, often with low handrails on the sides, used especially in the sport of coasting over snow or ice.

2. Also called boggin.  Chiefly South Midland and Southern U.S. a close-fitting knit cap worn in cold weather.

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verb (used without object)

1. to use, or coast on, a toboggan.

2. to fall rapidly, as prices or one's fortune.

toboggan British  

/ təˈbɒɡən /

noun

1. a light wooden frame on runners used for sliding over snow and ice

2. a long narrow sledge made of a thin board curved upwards and backwards at the front

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verb

1. (intr) to ride on a toboggan

Usage

What does toboggan mean? A toboggan is an old-timey sled. One kind is long and narrow with a curved-up front, and another kind has a flat platform on top of runners. Toboggan can also be used as a verb in exactly the same way that sled can be used as a verb, as in let’s go tobogganing. However, it can also mean to fall rapidly, especially in the context of nonphysical things like stock prices. Example: We found Grandpa’s old toboggan in the attic and rode it down the hill in the snow today—that thing really flies!

Other Word Forms

• tobogganer noun
• tobogganist noun

Etymology

Origin of toboggan

First recorded in 1820–30; from Canadian French tabagane, from Maliseet-Passamaquoddy tʰapákən, Mi'kmaq topaĝan (equivalent to unrecorded Proto-Algonquian weta·pye·- “to drag a cord” + -kan- “instrument for”)

Explanation

A toboggan is a type of sled that's light and thin. When you use such a sled, you're tobogganing. If you live somewhere that gets snow in the winter, you might already know what a toboggan is: a thin sled with curving boards in the front that originated with Native Canadians. Tobogganing is a popular winter sport and a lot of fun. Tobogganing sometimes refers to luging, which is a very similar winter sport. You can go extremely fast on a toboggan. If you ride a toboggan well, maybe you'll end up in the Winter Olympics.

Example Sentences

No, he said he told them, I don’t need a toboggan.

From Los Angeles Times • Jan. 13, 2024

Families race down a toboggan run that weaves through the forest and, when winter's here, there's even a small ski resort.

From BBC • Nov. 3, 2023

Guests can then return to central Davos by foot, cable car or a free toboggan that mazes through forests straight out of a fairy tale.

From New York Times • Jan. 14, 2023

Funboy Retro Plaid Toboggan: Surprise them with an inflatable two-person toboggan for a cushioned ride in a candy-cane-colored plaid print.

From Seattle Times • Nov. 14, 2021

Magic sometimes sat on the toboggan while Duane pulled, and she sometimes ran around Duane when she couldn’t sit still any longer because she was too excited thinking about going downhill.

From "The Very, Very Far North" by Dan Bar-el