bobsled

noun

bob·​sled ˈbäb-ˌsled 

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

And then there have been the Jamaican dreamers, most notably the Jamaican bobsled team, the subject of the 1993 Disney move Cool Runnings. —Ira Winderman, Sun Sentinel, 4 Aug. 2025

Year: 1993 Director: Jon Turteltaub Run time: 1h 38m There is a certain type of American who only knows two things about Jamaica: Bob Marley and the Jamaican bobsled team. —Tim Grierson, Vulture, 25 July 2025

The national, state, and local design guidelines have been steamrollered – or perhaps shredded by the metaphorical bobsled hurtling down its track. —John Deffenbaugh, Denver Post, 22 July 2025

Their ray of hope comes with convincing a reluctant former bobsled medalist (a luminous John Candy, in what would be one of his last onscreen performances) to train them, and obligatory hijinks, setbacks, and triumphs ensue. —Sophie Van Bastelaer, EW.com, 7 July 2025

Word History

Etymology

perhaps from bob entry 4

First Known Use

1796, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for bobsled

• abed
• ahead
• beachhead
• bedspread
• bedstead
• behead
• blackhead
• blockhead
• bloodshed
• bowhead
• breastfed
• bridgehead

Kids Definition

bobsled

noun

bob·​sled ˈbäb-ˌsled 

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