a light vehicle on runners, usually horse-drawn, for carrying persons over snow and ice
Origin:
Du slee, contr. of slede, a sled
intransitive verb
to ride in or drive a sleigh
See sleigh in American Heritage Dictionary 4
noun
A light vehicle mounted on runners and having one or more seats, usually drawn by a horse over snow or ice.
intransitive verbsleighed, sleigh·ing, sleighs
To ride in or drive a sleigh.
Origin:
Origin: Dutch slee
Origin: , variant of slede
Origin: , from Middle Dutch slēde
.
Related Forms:
sleighˈer noun
Our Living LanguageSleigh is a familiar word in American English, having entered the language from Dutch by 1700. The Dutch were among the earliest colonists in North America, and it is thus no surprise that some very common words come from their language. Boss, bush, and landscape are all originally Dutch words that became established in English by the end of the 17th century. In the succeeding centuries we got such words as dope, knickerbocker, snoop, spook, waffle, and cookie. Even a term practically synonymous with American, namely Yankee, was in all probability originally a Dutch word for a Dutch pirate. See Note at Yankee.