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

Breckenridge Ski Patrol arrived at around 9:20 a.m. and took him by toboggan to the bottom of the mountain, where he was loaded into an ambulance. —Katie Langford, The Denver Post, 19 Mar. 2025

The final post in the series featured a video clip of Umansky looking somber as he was being led down the ski slope on a rescue toboggan by emergency responders. —Toria Sheffield, People.com, 15 Feb. 2025

Verb

The park also has tobogganing hills which can reach up to 60 mph. —Jalen Williams, Detroit Free Press, 25 Dec. 2024

Could tobogganing be the next sport that Zendaya tackles? —Jean E. Palmieri, WWD, 15 Oct. 2024

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