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

The town offers plenty of non-skiing fun, including night hikes and toboggan adventures. —Stacey Leasca, Travel + Leisure, 8 Dec. 2025

The rider controls the direction of the toboggan by shifting their body weight from one side to the other. —Bestreviews, Mercury News, 4 Dec. 2025

Verb

In winter, snowshoeing and tobogganing down the hill are added to the lineup. —Jennifer Leigh Parker, Forbes.com, 5 Aug. 2025

One of the most recent photos in the exhibition, taken by an unknown artist in 1905, is a cyanotype depicting figures tobogganing on a hill in Massachusetts. —Lillian Ali, Smithsonian Magazine, 6 June 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