toboggan

1 of 2

noun

to·​bog·​gan tə-ˈbä-gən 

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

Illustration of toboggan

• toboggan 1

toboggan

2 of 2

verb

tobogganed; tobogganing; toboggans

intransitive verb

1

: to coast on or as if on a toboggan

2

: to decline suddenly and sharply

tobogganer noun

tobogganist

tə-ˈbä-gə-nist 

noun

Examples of toboggan in a Sentence

Verb

The kids tobogganed down the hill.

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

Eventually ski patrol arrived and rushed Perry down the mountain in a toboggan to the Moran Eye Center, where surgeons attempted to repair the damage by placing 30 stitches in the whites of the eye. —Jordan Greene, PEOPLE, 14 Apr. 2026

Some late convertibles were poorly engineered and felt more like toboggans on the road than solid, safe automobiles. —Jason Fogelson, AJC.com, 20 Mar. 2026

Verb

For a mountain thrill that doesn't involve strapping on your skis or board, Schladming offers nearly a dozen tobogganing destinations. —Stacey Leasca, Travel + Leisure, 12 Feb. 2026

For a more child-like thrill, go tobogganing on the 3.6-mile sled trail in Täsch. —Jen Murphy, Outside, 20 Dec. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Canadian French tobogan, of Algonquian origin; akin to Micmac tobâgun drag made of skin

First Known Use

Noun

circa 1820, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

1846, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for toboggan

• andropogon
• dogon
• noggin

Kids Definition

toboggan

1 of 2 noun

to·​bog·​gan tə-ˈbäg-ən 

: a long light sled made without runners and curved up at the front

toboggan

2 of 2 verb

: to slide on a toboggan