What does toboggan mean?
A toboggan is a small, flat-bottomed sled used to slide downhill over snow or ice. Unlike a conventional sled, it has no runners and is designed to glide smoothly over a snowy slope. The word is both a noun and a verb: as a noun, it names the vehicle, and as a verb, it describes riding one for pleasure. In British English, tobogganing is a familiar winter pastime, and the term is also common in Canadian and American English. Although toboggan and sled are sometimes treated as interchangeable, a toboggan is more specifically a simple runnerless sled suited to downhill sliding. The word also carries an appealing historical story: English borrowed it through Canadian French from the Mi'kmaq language, spoken by an Indigenous people of eastern Canada. Thus, toboggan is both a useful everyday word and a reminder of the diverse linguistic sources that have enriched English.
A small, flat-bottomed, usually runnerless sled used for sliding downhill on snow or ice.
"Their battered wooden toboggan had been repaired many times."
The plural is toboggans.
To ride or travel on a toboggan, especially for recreation.
"They spent the whole afternoon tobogganing on the hill."
The present participle is tobogganing.
The standard plural of the noun is toboggans.
"The lodge keeps several toboggans for use on its snowy run."
The word toboggan arrived in English from Canadian French and ultimately from the Mi'kmaq language—a linguistic journey to rival its wild ride down a snowy hill.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does toboggan come from?
The English word entered the language through Canadian French, where it appeared as tabagan. That form ultimately comes from Mi'kmaq, an Indigenous language of eastern Canada, and the English spelling became established later as toboggan.
Related word forms
How toboggan is actually used
Toboggan is especially associated with snowy hills and informal recreational activity. In British English, tobogganing is common, while Canadian and American English also use toboggan and tobogganing alongside the more general term sled.
Easily confused with toboggan
A sled is the general term for a vehicle with runners, whereas a toboggan is a runnerless, flat-bottomed sled designed for sliding downhill.
A sleigh is a typically enclosed or hooded vehicle pulled by animals, while a toboggan is a lightweight sled ridden downhill by a person.