toboggan

1 of 3

noun (1)

to·​bog·​gan tə-ˈbä-gən How to pronounce toboggan (audio)
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

Illustration of toboggan
  • toboggan 1

toboggan

2 of 3

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 How to pronounce toboggan (audio)
noun

tobogganer

3 of 3

noun (2)

to·​bog·​gan·​er
-gənə(r)
variants or less commonly tobogganist
-nə̇st How to pronounce tobogganer (audio)
plural -s
: one that toboggans

Examples of toboggan in a Sentence

Verb The kids tobogganed down the hill.
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Noun
Their truck bed was packed with plastic toboggans and a metal bowl for making ice cream in the snow. — Kate Talerico, San Francisco Chronicle, 22 Feb. 2026 Verbier is home to a gorgeously scenic and very long toboggan run, providing over three miles of thrilling fun. — Stacey Leasca, Travel + Leisure, 21 Feb. 2026
Verb
The park also has tobogganing hills which can reach up to 60 mph. — Jalen Williams, Detroit Free Press, 25 Dec. 2024 In winter, snowshoeing and tobogganing down the hill are added to the lineup. — Jennifer Leigh Parker, Forbes.com, 5 Aug. 2025 See All Example Sentences for toboggan

Word History

Etymology

Noun (1)

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

First Known Use

Noun (1)

circa 1820, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

1846, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of toboggan was circa 1820

Rhymes for toboggan

See All Rhymes for toboggan

Browse Nearby Words

to blame
toboggan
tobogganer
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Toboggan.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/toboggan. Accessed 7 Jul. 2026.

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Kids Definition

toboggan

1 of 2 noun
to·​bog·​gan tə-ˈbäg-ən How to pronounce toboggan (audio)
: a long light sled made without runners and curved up at the front

toboggan

2 of 2 verb
: to slide on a toboggan

More from Merriam-Webster on toboggan

Nglish: Translation of toboggan for Spanish Speakers

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