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sled

The Columbia Encyclopedia, 6th ed. | 2011 | Copyright

sled vehicle that moves by sliding. A sledge is typically a heavier, load-carrying sled drawn by a horse or dog, while a sleigh is a partially enclosed horse-drawn vehicle with runners that has seats for passengers. The simplest form of the sled is a board turned up in front, as in the toboggan. Developments include the addition of wooden or metal runners, the coupling of two sleds in tandem (the bobsled), and the introduction of light and graceful horse-drawn passenger sleighs. Small sleds with runners are used in winter sports.

Evidence indicates that the sled was used in the Neolithic period, before the invention of the wheel or the use of any draft animal except the dog. Probably it was first drawn by a person. Whether the sled originated in the Old World or the New, or independently in each, is not known. Eskimos used a dogsled in pre-Columbian America. In ancient Egypt sleds were used to haul blocks of stone. The sled is still commonly used in northern regions.

See bobsledding ; luge ; skeleton ; tobogganing ; see also travois .

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sled

The Oxford Pocket Dictionary of Current English | 2009 | Copyright

sled / sled/ • n. a vehicle on runners for traveling over snow or ice, either pushed or pulled, drawn by horses, dogs, or a motor vehicle, or allowed to slide downhill. ∎ another term for sledge¹. ∎ another term for snowmobile. • v. (sled·ded , sled·ding ) [intr.] ride on a sled: they sledded down the slopes in the frozen snow | [as n.] (sledding) the sledding has been excellent this year.

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sled

The Concise Oxford Dictionary of English Etymology | 1996 | | Copyright

sled sledge, sleigh. XIV. — MLG. sledde, corr. to MHG. slitte (G. schlitten), and rel. to MLG., MDu. slēde, (Du. slede, slee), OHG. slito, ON. sleōi, f. *slid- *slīd- SLIDE.

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T. F. HOAD. "sled." The Concise Oxford Dictionary of English Etymology. 1996. Encyclopedia.com. 27 May. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>.

T. F. HOAD. "sled." The Concise Oxford Dictionary of English Etymology. 1996. Encyclopedia.com. (May 27, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O27-sled.html

T. F. HOAD. "sled." The Concise Oxford Dictionary of English Etymology. 1996. Retrieved May 27, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O27-sled.html

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sled

Oxford Dictionary of Rhymes | 2007 | Copyright

sled •abed, ahead, bed, behead, Birkenhead, bled, bread, bred, coed, cred, crossbred, dead, dread, Ed, embed, Enzed, fed, fled, Fred, gainsaid, head, infrared, ked, lead, led, Med, misled, misread, Ned, outspread, premed, pure-bred, read, red, redd, said, samoyed, shed, shred, sked, sled, sped, Spithead, spread, stead, ted, thread, tread, underbred, underfed, wed •trackbed • flatbed • deathbed •airbed • daybed • seabed •reed bed, seedbed •sickbed • childbed • hotbed • roadbed •footbed • sunbed • sofa bed •waterbed • feather bed • breastfed •dripfed • spoonfed • Szeged •blackhead •cathead, fathead, Flathead •masthead •bedhead, deadhead, redhead •egghead •airhead, stairhead •railhead • maidenhead • Gateshead •beachhead • greenhead • meathead •bighead • bridgehead •dickhead, thickhead •pinhead, skinhead •pithead • Holyhead • sleepyhead •fountainhead • whitehead • godhead •blockhead •drophead, hophead, mophead •hothead • hogshead •sorehead, warhead •Roundhead • bonehead • arrowhead •bullhead • wooden-head • sub-head •bulkhead •chucklehead, knucklehead •drumhead • muttonhead • spearhead •go-ahead • dunderhead • figurehead •loggerhead • hammerhead •letterhead • bobsled • cirriped • biped •moped • quadruped

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