toboggan
A long sled without runners, with the front end curled upwards, which may be pulled across snow by a cord or used to coast down hills.
Etymology timeline
Born ~1829 · 1 year of recorded useSeen in the wild
Definitions
A long sled without runners, with the front end curled upwards, which may be pulled across snow by a cord or used to coast down hills.
Comments
(figurative) Something which, once it starts going (figuratively) downhill, is unstoppable until it reaches the bottom.
"toboggan" means: Something which, once it starts going (figuratively) downhill, is unstoppable until it reaches the bottom.. This is a fairly neutral word with no inherent risk attached. There is no real cause for parental concern; it is descriptive vocabulary rather than something dangerous. If your child uses it, context will usually make the meaning clear. A brief, curious question about where they heard it is generally enough to know whether to follow up.
"toboggan" means: Something which, once it starts going (figuratively) downhill, is unstoppable until it reaches the bottom.. Register: neutral, standard English, usable in most everyday contexts. A common non-native mistake is to use the word in the wrong register, or to assume one fixed meaning when it is actually polysemous; always check the surrounding register and the audience before producing it yourself. In formal writing, prefer a neutral synonym or a short descriptive phrase, and use this word only when you have heard or read it being used naturally in a comparable context.
Comments
(Canada, US) A similar sled of wood, pulled by dogs, possibly with steel runners, made to transport cargo.
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- toboggan slide75%
(Canada) A track prepared with ice or snow, for sledding down a slope or slide.
- toboggan slide69%
(Canada, figuratively) A quick, unstoppable decline.
- sled67%
A small, light vehicle with s, used recreationally, mostly by children, for sliding down snow-covered hills; no draft animal pulls it.