toboggan

noun

to·bog·gan | \tə-ˈbä-gən

Definition of toboggan

(Entry 1 of 2)

1 : a long flat-bottomed light sled made usually of thin boards curved up at one end with usually low handrails at the sides

2 : a downward course or a sharp decline

3 chiefly Southern US and Midland US : stocking cap

toboggan

verb

tobogganed; tobogganing; toboggans

Definition of toboggan (Entry 2 of 2)

intransitive verb

1 : to coast on or as if on a toboggan

2 : to decline suddenly and sharply

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Examples of toboggan in a Sentence

Verb

The kids tobogganed down the hill.

Recent Examples on the Web: Noun

In this case a series of mistakes erased that margin of error, and the result was a F-22 Raptor that took its turn as the world’s most expensive toboggan. — Kyle Mizokami, Popular Mechanics, "Air Force Releases Explanation for April's F-22 Belly Flop Accident," 19 Nov. 2018 Last year’s tour, for instance, involved racing toboggans in the Swiss Alps and a cooking contest in San Sebastian, Spain, requiring contestants to hunt down ingredients in the city’s markets (and to ask for them in Basque). — Matthew Kronsberg, WSJ, "Why Even Control Freaks Are Opting for ‘Surprise Vacations’," 14 Nov. 2018 After dinner, take a a toboggan back down into town. — Todd Plummer, Harper's BAZAAR, "6 Envy-Inducing Ways to Experience the Best of Verbier," 1 Nov. 2018 Last year’s tour, for instance, involved racing toboggans in the Swiss Alps and a cooking contest in San Sebastian, Spain, requiring contestants to hunt down ingredients in the city’s markets (and to ask for them in Basque). — Matthew Kronsberg, WSJ, "Why Even Control Freaks Are Opting for ‘Surprise Vacations’," 14 Nov. 2018 Once, after a blizzard, my dad placed my two younger brothers and me on a toboggan and tied the rope around his waist. — Jenny Rough, Washington Post, "Where you live has a bigger impact on happiness and health than you might imagine," 14 May 2018 Instead of safety being the owners' primary concern, guests would be encouraged to tempt fate on notoriously risky waterslides, ziplines and a high-speed downhill toboggan. — Peter Debruge, chicagotribune.com, "'Action Point' review: You'll only hurt yourself watching this Johnny Knoxville film," 1 June 2018 The patrollers—Oxereok, his brother Stanley, two of their nephews, and two other young men—acquired their gear: a snowmobile and toboggan, safety supplies, and an armory of bear deterrents. — Eva Holland, Smithsonian, "Where the Doomed, Beloved Polar Bear Is Still a Dangerous Predator," 16 May 2018 Adventures by Disney, an arm of the vast magic creator, has come up with the tour menus, which include toboggan rides, hiking, zip lining in the Black Forest, and canoeing along the Ill River. — Carolyn Spencer Brown, Town & Country, "The Best River Cruises in the World, Ranked by Preference," 20 Nov. 2017

Recent Examples on the Web: Verb

The property provides easy access to skiing and tobogganing on the Wallberg. — Alex Halberstadt, Smithsonian, "Why Winter Is the Perfect Time to Visit Bavaria," 24 Jan. 2018 The main reason for my trip to this part of Bavaria, the large state that occupies Germany’s southeastern corner, was to indulge a curiosity about tobogganing. — Alex Halberstadt, Smithsonian, "Why Winter Is the Perfect Time to Visit Bavaria," 24 Jan. 2018 To The Pathe Archives: Here’s the 1965 world tobogganing championship from Davos. — Charles P. Pierce, Esquire, "The Un-American ICE," 26 Jan. 2018 Getting There This corner of Germany is renowned for its medieval villages, fairy-tale castles, hearty food, and outdoor pursuits — especially tobogganing in the winter. — Alex Halberstadt, Smithsonian, "Why Winter Is the Perfect Time to Visit Bavaria," 24 Jan. 2018 There's even a place to toboggan in the county — and trails are open throughout the region for brisk, winter hikes. — Sheryl Devore, Lake County News-Sun, "Just add snow," 19 Dec. 2017 Singer Ciara was roundly slammed for posting a photo of herself sliding down the Mutianyu Great Wall of China toboggan slide with her infant daughter. — Heidi Stevens, chicagotribune.com, "Just let the guy love his curvy wife already," 8 Aug. 2017 Terry Scott Cohen, 42, enjoys roller coasters, mushing in Alaska and tobogganing in the Pyrenees Mountains. — Elaine Glusac, New York Times, "For the Disabled Traveler, Strategies for a Successful Trip," 3 Feb. 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'toboggan.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.