Sled is a vehicle designed to slide smoothly over snow or ice, usually by sitting or lying on it and letting gravity or a push send you gliding downhill. Unlike wheeled vehicles, sleds have smooth runners or a flat bottom that glides across frozen surfaces. Picture yourself at the top of a snowy hill: you hop on your sled, push off, and suddenly you're racing down the slope, cold air stinging your face as snow sprays up around you.

People have used sleds for thousands of years for both recreation and essential work. Before snowmobiles and trucks, sleds pulled by dogs or reindeer were the main way to travel and transport goods across frozen landscapes in places like Alaska, Siberia, and northern Canada. The famous Iditarod race in Alaska honors this history, with mushers guiding dog teams across more than 1,000 miles of snow and ice.

The word works as a verb too: you can go sledding after a big snowstorm, or you might say you sledded down the biggest hill in the park. Some people call their sleds toboggans or use other regional names, but they all serve the same thrilling purpose of turning a snowy hillside into an adventure.