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The sport of racing sleds pulled by dogs over snow-covered cross-country courses, dogsled racing, developed from a traditional Eskimo method of transportation. Modern sleds are usually of wood (ash) construction, with leather lashings and steel- or aluminum-covered runners. The dogs used for pulling the sleds are most often Eskimo dogs, Siberian huskies, Samoyeds, or Alaskan malamutes; teams typically consist of 4–10 dogs. The course is usually 12–30 miles (19–48 km) long, though some, including the Iditarod, an annual dogsled race held in Alaska, are considerably longer.
Examples of dogsled in a Sentence
Scott Laird, Condé Nast Traveler, 1 Nov. 2023
This long-standing tradition includes a broomball tournament, dogsled and Nordic races, and a ceremonial Burning of the Greens.
—Outside Online, 13 Mar. 2023
In January 1925 an outbreak of diphtheria (a serious bacterial infection that can be deadly if untreated, especially for children) was spreading in Nome, Alaska—a town that could only be reached by dogsled during the winter.
—Lauren J. Young, Scientific American, 27 Apr. 2023
Ferreira, who is on board with his wife, Suzette, is a veteran of early-explorer-style high-Arctic journeys, months long treks involving dogsleds and real toil and suffering.
—Michael Verdon, Robb Report, 23 Apr. 2023
Driving a dogsled across a frozen lake at 35 miles an hour was truly enjoyable for me.
—Laura Manske, Forbes, 23 Feb. 2023
In Alaska, letter carriers rode on dogsleds until the 1960s; even now, mail is dropped into some towns by parachute.
—National Geographic, 18 May 2020
Visitors from surrounding villages and other places can only reach Nome by plane, boat and, sometimes, snowmachines or dogsleds.
—Victoria McKenzie, Anchorage Daily News, 12 Sep. 2019
Not a place for road trips The country’s towns and communities aren’t connected by a network of roads, Thestrup said, so travelers should be prepared to get around by plane, helicopter, boat or, in the winter, dogsleds or snowmobiles.
—Hannah Sampson, Washington Post, 27 Aug. 2019
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Word History
1706, in the meaning defined above
Dictionary Entries Near dogsled
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“Dogsled.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/dogsled. Accessed 5 Dec. 2023.
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More from Merriam-Webster on dogsled
Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about dogsled
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