luge
luge Lexical Profile
luge Game Scores & Validity
• noun
The winter sport or Olympic event of racing down a steep, banked ice track on such a sled at high speeds.
"Germany has historically dominated the medal count in Olympic luge competitions."
A small, light racing sled for one or two people, ridden by an athlete lying supine (face-up) and feet-first, steered by flexing the sled's runners with the calves and shifting shoulder weight.
"The athlete carefully waxed the steel runners of her luge before heading to the top of the ice track."
• verb
To ride or race on a luge sled down an ice track.
"They spent the winter afternoon luging down the banked curves of the Olympic training course."
Word Nuance & Usage
In winter sports, 'luge' is ridden lying face-up and feet-first, whereas 'skeleton' is ridden lying face-down and head-first.
• Rhymes for luge
Word Origin & Etymology
Borrowed in the late 19th century from Swiss French 'luge', meaning 'small coasting sled', a regional Savoyard dialect word likely of pre-Latin, Gaulish origin.