dog-sled

IPA/dˈɒɡslˈɛd/
IPA/dˈɑːɡslˈɛd/

dog-sled — noun

1. a narrow sled that is pulled by one or more dogs across snow or ice, used for tr

1.nounB1
Definition

a narrow sled that is pulled by one or more dogs across snow or ice, used for travel, work, or racing in cold regions of the world

Example

Ilan guided the dog-sled across the frozen lake toward the distant cabin.

guide a dog-sled across [frozen surface]

Every winter, tourists in Alaska pay to ride on a dog-sled through the snowy forest.

ride on a dog-sled [tourist activity]

Common collocations
  • guide a dog-sled
  • ride on a dog-sled
  • dog-sled race
  • wooden dog-sled
  • dog-sled team
Synonyms
  • sled

    a larger category; any vehicle that slides over snow, pulled by people, animals, or machinery

  • sledge

    the common British term for a sled pulled by dogs or horses

  • sleigh

    usually a larger passenger sled pulled by horses, not typically by dogs

Grammar Patterns

guide + a dog-sled [across/through a place]

ride + on + a dog-sled

dog-sled + verb of motion (raced, glided)

Word family

  • dog-sledding
    nounB2
  • dog-sledder
    nounC1

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

All three words describe vehicles that slide over snow or ice, but they differ in what pulls them and where they are used. A dog-sled is specifically pulled by dogs across snow or ice, commonly used in Arctic regions for travel and racing. Sled is the most general term — it covers anything from a child's plastic toboggan to a horse-drawn vehicle. Sledge is the standard British English word for a sled, especially one pulled by dogs or horses over snow. Sleigh typically refers to a larger, often decorative passenger vehicle pulled by horses, associated with winter recreation or Christmas imagery rather than practical travel. For example: 'The team trained their dog-sled for the Iditarod race,' but 'The children pulled their plastic sled up the hill,' and 'The horse-drawn sleigh carried them through the snowy park.'

sled ↗sledge ↗sleigh ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

Adverbs

Phrases

  • by dog-sled
  • dog-sled journey
  • dog-sled tour

Prepositions

Etymology

EnglishEnglish

A compound word formed from 'dog' and 'sled', first recorded in English in the mid-19th century as European explorers and traders encountered this traditional mode of transport used by Indigenous peoples of the Arctic and subarctic regions.