sleigh
UK[sleɪ]US[sleɪ]
n
a vehicle on runners for travelling over snow, often pulled by horses or dogs.
v
to ride or travel on a sleigh.
Etymology
the word 'sleigh' entered english in the early 18th century, borrowed directly from the dutch word 'slee', which is a shortened form of 'slede', meaning 'sled'. the dutch term itself traces back to the middle dutch 'slede' and ultimately to the proto-germanic root slidō, which is also the ancestor of the english word 'sled'. this proto-germanic root is connected to the verb 'to slide', a concept central to the function of the vehicle. the specific form 'sleigh' became the standard term in american and canadian english for a horse-drawn snow vehicle, distinguishing it from the simpler, smaller 'sled'.
Analysis
this word is a simplex loanword from dutch. it does not contain separable morphemes in modern english.
Examples
the children laughed as the horse-drawn sleigh glided silently through the fresh snow.
we decided to sleigh across the frozen lake to reach the cabin.
the classic holiday image features santa claus in his flying sleigh pulled by reindeer.