A sledge is a vehicle designed to slide smoothly over snow and ice, pulled by animals or people. A sledge typically has runners (long, smooth strips along the bottom) instead of wheels, and it can carry heavy loads across frozen ground where wheeled carts would sink or get stuck.

For centuries, sledges were essential transportation in Arctic regions. Teams of dogs pulled sledges carrying supplies, mail, and people across frozen wilderness. Explorers like Roald Amundsen used sledges pulled by dogs to reach the South Pole in 1911. In some northern countries, reindeer pull sledges through snow-covered forests.

The word sledge is more common in British English, while Americans usually say sled for smaller versions or sleigh for the kind pulled by horses or reindeer. You might also hear about a sledgehammer, a heavy hammer that delivers powerful blows. When you sledge down a snowy hill, you're riding a sledge for fun rather than for transportation.