bobsleigh
bobsleigh Lexical Profile
bobsleigh Game Scores & Validity
• noun
British A mechanically steered, aerodynamic sled equipped with tandem steel runners and brakes, designed to carry a crew of two or four people down an iced track.
"The mechanics spent hours polishing the runners of the bobsleigh before the final heat."
British A winter sport in which teams of two or four athletes make timed runs down a narrow, twisting, banked ice track in a gravity-powered sled.
"She transitioned from track sprinting to bobsleigh and competed in the Winter Olympics."
• verb
British To ride, race, or travel down an ice track in a bobsleigh.
"They bobsleighed down the steep Olympic course at speeds exceeding eighty miles per hour."
Word Nuance & Usage
'Bobsleigh' is the standard term in British, Commonwealth, and international governing body usage, whereas 'bobsled' is preferred in American English.
• Nearby Words
Word Origin & Etymology
Formed in the late 19th century as a compound of 'bob' and 'sleigh', originally from the early practice of crew members bobbing back and forth on straightaways to increase the sled's speed.