sled

American  

[sled] / slɛd /

noun

1. a small vehicle consisting of a platform mounted on runners for use in traveling over snow or ice.

2. a sledge.

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verb (used without object)

sledded, sledding

1. to coast, ride, or be carried on a sled.

verb (used with object)

sledded, sledding

1. to convey by sled.

Other Word Forms

• sledlike adjective

Etymology

Origin of sled

1350–1400; Middle English sledde < Middle Dutch; akin to German Schlitten sled, sleigh; 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

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 time Trinidad’s Micah Moore, a former sprinter, rode a sled, he said he thought he was going to die.

From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 14, 2026

They all have explosive power and speed over the initial acceleration phase where pushing the sled effectively is so vital.

From BBC • Feb. 14, 2026

Team GB's Matt Weston 'allows the sled to do the work' and leads in his third run of the men's skeleton.

From BBC • Feb. 13, 2026

I tied the dogs off to a tree and took the snowshoes from the sled and spent the better part of an hour trying to work it out, moving around in the new snow.

From "Woodsong" by Gary Paulsen

Related Words

• bobsled
• luge