sledge

UK: /ˈslɛdʒ/ US: /slɛdʒ/ ,(slej)

WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2026

sledge¹ /slɛdʒ/   n. [countable]

1. Transport a vehicle mounted on runners and often pulled by a horse or other animal, used for traveling or for carrying loads over snow, ice, etc.
2. Transport a sled.
3. Transport, British Terms [Brit.] a sleigh.

sledge² /slɛdʒ/   n. 

1. Building sledgehammer.

WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2026

sledge¹  (slej), n., v., sledged, sledg•ing. 
n. 

1. Transport a vehicle of various forms, mounted on runners and often drawn by draft animals, used for traveling or for conveying loads over snow, ice, rough ground, etc.
2. Transport a sled.
3. Transport, British Terms [Brit.] a sleigh.

v.t., v.i. 

4. Transport to convey or travel by sledge.

v.i. 

5. British Terms, Transport to sleigh.

• dialect, dialectal Dutch sleeds, derivative of slede sled; compare sleigh
• 1595–1605

sledge²  (slej), n., v.t., v.i., sledged, sledg•ing. 

1. Building sledgehammer (defs. 1, 2).

• bef. 1000; Middle English slegge, Old English slecg; cognate with Dutch slegge, Old Norse sleggja; akin to slay

Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::

sledge / slɛdʒ/, sled / slɛd/ noun

1. Also called: sleigh a vehicle mounted on runners, drawn by horses or dogs, for transporting people or goods, esp over snow
2. a light wooden frame used, esp by children, for sliding over snow; toboggan

verb

1. to convey, travel, or go by sledge

Etymology: 17th Century: from Middle Dutch sleedse; C14 sled, from Middle Low German, from Old Norse slethi, related to slide

sledge / slɛdʒ/ noun

1. short for sledgehammer

sledge / slɛdʒ/ verb

1. (transitive) to bait (an opponent, esp a batter in cricket) in order to upset his or her concentration

Etymology: of uncertain origin; perhaps from sledgehammer