What does "luge" mean?
A racing sled for one or two people that is ridden with the rider or riders lying on their back.
Luge
/luː(d)ʒ/ noun, verb
noun, verb ·Rare ·Advanced level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: A racing sled for one or two people that is ridden with the rider or riders lying on their back.
- Grammar: luge is listed as noun, verb.
- Nearest alternatives: sled, toboggan.
- Usage evidence: The German athletes won four gold medals at the luge world championship in Canada.
How to use "luge"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "luge" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "luge" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "luge" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "luge" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
- Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "luge" is acting as noun, verb in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "sled" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
Review note: Definition pages are checked for source coverage, sentence evidence, synonym support, and editorial insight before they are treated as approval-ready pages. If the evidence is too thin, the page remains available to users but is kept out of the approval-facing indexed inventory.
Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "luge", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Noun
- 1 A racing sled for one or two people that is ridden with the rider or riders lying on their back. also, attributive, countable
- 2 a racing sled for one or two people wordnet
- 3 The sport of racing on luges. also, attributive, broadly, uncountable
- 4 A piece of bone, ice or other material with a channel down which a drink (usually alcoholic) can be poured into someone's mouth. also, attributive, broadly, countable
"The luge was a block of ice, sometimes up to three-and-one-half feet long, which had narrow grooves etched into it. Alcohol was poured onto one end of the luge and as the alcohol traveled down the narrow grooves in the block of ice, it was cooled and then ran directly into the mouth of the waiting drinker on the other end."
Verb
- 1 To ride a luge; also, to participate in the sport of luge. also, attributive, intransitive
- 2 move along on a luge or toboggan wordnet
- 3 To slide or slip down a slope. also, attributive, figuratively, intransitive
"[Norman] Ollestad was only 11 when a small plane carrying him, his father and his father's girlfriend to a ski race slammed into the San Gabriel Mountains west of Los Angeles during a blizzard. […] After the girlfriend luged to her death halfway down the icy slope, Ollestad had to pick his way down alone, following the trail of her blood."
Synonyms
All synonymsExample
"The German athletes won four gold medals at the luge world championship in Canada."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "luge"?
Common synonyms include: sled, toboggan.
How do you use "luge" in a sentence?
The German athletes won four gold medals at the luge world championship in Canada.
How do you pronounce "luge"?
Pronounced /luː(d)ʒ/.
Etymology
The noun is borrowed from Swiss French or Franco-Provençal luge, from Medieval Latin scludia, from Late Latin sclodia, of Celtic origin, from Gaulish *stludio, possibly from Proto-Indo-European *sleydʰ- (“to slide, slip; to be slick or slippery”). If so, it is related to sled and sleigh. Sense 2.2 (“drinking utensil”) is from its resemblance to the tracks on which luges race. The verb is derived from the noun. Cognates * Irish slaod (“raft, float”) * Old Breton stloit (“sliding; traction”) (modern Breton stlej (“sleigh”)) * Welsh llithr (“slide, slippage”)