bobsled

noun

bob·​sled ˈbäb-ˌsled 

1

: a short sled usually used as one of a pair joined by a coupling

2

: a large usually metal sled used in racing and equipped with two pairs of runners in tandem, a long seat for two or more people, a steering wheel, and a hand brake

bobsled intransitive verb

bobsledder noun

Examples of bobsled in a Sentence

He drove a bobsled in the winter Olympics.

Recent Examples on the Web

Their ray of hope comes with convincing a reluctant former bobsled medalist (a luminous John Candy, in what would be one of his last onscreen performances) to train them, and obligatory hijinks, setbacks, and triumphs ensue. —Sophie Van Bastelaer, EW.com, 7 July 2025

The Utah Olympic Park in Park City has remained in the rotation for World Cup and World Championship bobsled, luge and skeleton events, too. —Christopher Kamrani, The Athletic, 24 Apr. 2024

Jones was fourth in the 100 hurdles at the 2012 Olympic Games in London before switching to bobsled, winning the mixed team gold medal at the 2013 World Championships. —Scott M. Reid, Oc Register, 21 June 2025

Elana, who is built like her father with a short explosive build, was a natural pusher; The pusher tries to maximize the speed of the bobsled at the start of the race. —Tim Genske, Forbes, 21 Mar. 2025

Word History

Etymology

perhaps from bob entry 4

First Known Use

1796, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for bobsled

• abed
• ahead
• beachhead
• bedspread
• bedstead
• behead
• blackhead
• blockhead
• bloodshed
• bowhead
• breastfed
• bridgehead

Kids Definition

bobsled

noun

bob·​sled ˈbäb-ˌsled 

1

: a short sled usually used as one of a joined pair

2

: a racing sled made with two sets of runners, a hand brake, and often a steering wheel

bobsled verb

bobsledder noun