bobsled

noun

bob·​sled ˈbäb-ˌsled How to pronounce bobsled (audio)
1
: a short sled usually used as one of a pair joined by a coupling
2
: a large usually metal sled used in racing and equipped with two pairs of runners in tandem, a long seat for two or more people, a steering wheel, and a hand brake
bobsled intransitive verb
bobsledder noun

Examples of bobsled in a Sentence

He drove a bobsled in the winter Olympics.
Recent Examples on the Web The device, a mix between a miniature jet ski and a bobsled, thrusts riders above and below the water at up to around 12 miles per hour. Stephanie Vermillion, Vogue, 14 Mar. 2024 Vonetta Flowers, that wonderful woman, won a gold medal in the bobsled. Jay Nordlinger, National Review, 13 Apr. 2023 In theory, the experiment would work equally well with bobsleds. Randall Munroe, New York Times, 10 Mar. 2020 The bobsleds at the Pyeongchang Games echo a similar design, with familiar lines, blades, height and weight making each sled seemingly indistinguishable from the other, at least to the untrained eye. Paul Myerberg, USA TODAY, 16 Feb. 2018 For Winter Games rookies, the differences between the sledding events – luge, bobsled (or bobsleigh) and skeleton – can get blurry, just like a luger shooting past at 90 miles an hour. Flora Carr, Time, 16 Feb. 2018 In fact, temperatures might even drop below optimum conditions for some sports: For bobsled, Seitz says, in temperatures well below 23 degrees Farenheit, the ice is extra brittle. Maya Wei-Haas, Smithsonian, 1 Feb. 2018 Many women who compete in bobsled say their biggest barrier is a lack of funding for training and competing at international levels. Talya Minsberg, New York Times, 20 Feb. 2018 Even in bobsled, the relationship between driver and brakeman doesn’t require the same amount of synchronization between partners through every curve. Dan Wolken, USA TODAY, 12 Feb. 2018

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'bobsled.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

perhaps from bob entry 4

First Known Use

1796, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of bobsled was in 1796

Dictionary Entries Near bobsled

Cite this Entry

“Bobsled.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/bobsled. Accessed 28 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

bobsled

noun
bob·​sled ˈbäb-ˌsled How to pronounce bobsled (audio)
1
: a short sled usually used as one of a joined pair
2
: a racing sled made with two sets of runners, a hand brake, and often a steering wheel
bobsled verb
bobsledder noun

More from Merriam-Webster on bobsled

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