toboggan

[ tuh-bog-uhn ]

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 bog·gin [bog, -, uh, n]. Chiefly South Midland and Southern U.S. a close-fitting knit cap worn in cold weather.

verb (used without object)

1. to use, or coast on, a toboggan.
2. to fall rapidly, as prices or one's fortune.

toboggan

/ 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

verb

1. intr to ride on a toboggan

Derived Forms

• toˈbogganer, noun

Other Words From

• to·bog·gan·er to·bog·gan·ist noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of toboggan¹

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”)

Word History and Origins

Origin of toboggan¹

C19: from Canadian French, from Algonquian; related to Abnaki udābāgan

Example Sentences

"Fears the toboggan banging could cause breast cancer were cited as the reason for the 1921 ban on female racers and 1929 expulsion from the club," said president James Sunley.

From BBC

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

From Los Angeles Times

It is certainly true that temperatures are set to tumble by the end of the week, but before you dust off the toboggan or, dare I say it, start dreaming of a white Christmas, it might be worth taking a closer look at the forecast.

From BBC

That trip featured a toboggan ride away from the press after a Great Wall visit, and a game of table tennis where Michelle Obama joked that her husband played the game and “thinks he’s better than he really is.”

From Seattle Times

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