luge

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See also: lugé, lüge, lugë, and Lüge

English[edit]

WOTD – 3 February 2022

Etymology[edit]

A luge (sense 1)
Chinese luger Liu Xinyi participating in the luge (sense 2.1) at the Altenberg Juniors and Youth A Luge World Cups in Germany in 2019.
People drinking alcoholic beverages from luges (sense 2.2) made of ice.

The noun is borrowed from Swiss French or Franco-Provençal luge,[1] 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.[1]

cognates

Pronunciation[edit]

Noun[edit]

luge (countable and uncountable, plural luges) (also attributively)

  1. (countable) A racing sled for one or two people that is ridden with the rider or riders lying on their back.
  2. (by extension)
    1. (uncountable) The sport of racing on luges.
    2. (countable) A piece of bone, ice or other material with a channel down which a drink (usually alcoholic) can be poured into someone's mouth.
      • 1999, Ronald S. Beitman, Liquor Liability: A Primer for Winning Your Case, Philadelphia, Pa.: American Law Institute; American Bar Association Committee on Continuing Professional Education, →ISBN, page 20:
        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.
      • 2010 March 22, Dan Wiederer, “‘I’ll Do It if Bob Does It’”, in Blue Streak: The Highs, Lows and Behind the Scenes Hijinks of a National Champion, Bloomington, Ind.: iUniverse, →ISBN, page 16:
        Kegs of beer were set up around every corner. There was also a liquor luge—a giant block of ice, slanted at a 45-degree angle and carved with a convenient path for shots to be poured down and into the mouths of anyone who was thirsty.
      • 2013, Katie Johnstonbaugh, “Introduction”, in Kevin Sirois, editor, Food Lovers’ Guide to Oklahoma: The Best Restaurants, Markets & Local Culinary Offerings, Guilford, Conn.: Globe Pequot Press, →ISBN, page 5:
        From restaurant openings and closings to how to do a "Bone Marrow Luge," you'll want to check him [Dave Cathey] out for the latest on the gastronomic scene.
      • 2017, “Things with Tortillas [Pulled Pork Tacos: Armando de la Torre]”, in J. J. Goode, Helen Hollyman, and the editors of Munchies, editors, Munchies: Late-night Eats from the World’s Best Chefs, Berkeley, Calif.: Ten Speed Press, →ISBN, page 70:
        The Torres opened their first location in 2010 in Boyle Heights—the area squished between Downtown and East L.A.—and on their Chef's Night Out, we captured some quality father–son time as each Armando showed the other his generation's Boyle Heights. For Junior that meant creative-Italian appetizing at Bestia (technically in the "Arts District") and something called a "bone luge," where a sommelier pours sherry down your gullet via a recently scraped cow femur.

Derived terms[edit]

Translations[edit]

Verb[edit]

luge (third-person singular simple present luges, present participle luging or lugeing, simple past and past participle luged) (intransitive)

  1. To ride a luge; also, to participate in the sport of luge.
  2. (figuratively) To slide or slip down a slope.
    • 2009 July 5, Jennifer Schuessler, “Inside the List”, in The New York Times‎[1], New York, N.Y.: The New York Times Company, →ISSN, →OCLC, archived from the original on 26 January 2021:
      [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.

Derived terms[edit]

Translations[edit]

to slide or slip down a slope — see slide,‎ slip

References[edit]

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 “luge, n.”, in OED Online Paid subscription required⁠, Oxford, Oxfordshire: Oxford University Press, June 2021; “luge, n.”, in Lexico, Dictionary.com; Oxford University Press, 2019–2022.

Further reading[edit]

Anagrams[edit]

French[edit]

French Wikipedia has an article on:
Wikipedia fr

Etymology[edit]

From Swiss French/Franco-Provençal, from Medieval Latin sludia, from Late Latin sclodia, of Celtic origin, from Gaulish *stludio, from Proto-Indo-European *sleydʰ- (“slippery”).

Pronunciation[edit]

Noun[edit]

luge f (countable and uncountable, plural luges)

  1. (countable) luge (sled) (the sport of luge)
  2. (uncountable) luge (sport) (the sport of luge); Ellipsis of luge de course.
  3. (countable) sledge, sled (course sur luge, hockey sur luge)

Synonyms[edit]

Derived terms[edit]

Descendants[edit]

  • English: luge

Verb[edit]

luge

  1. inflection of luger:
    1. first/third-person singular present indicative/subjunctive
    2. second-person singular imperative

Further reading[edit]

German[edit]

Verb[edit]

luge

  1. inflection of lugen:
    1. first-person singular present
    2. first/third-person singular subjunctive I
    3. singular imperative

Latin[edit]

Verb[edit]

lūgē

  1. second-person singular present active imperative of lūgeō

Portuguese[edit]

Portuguese Wikipedia has an article on:
Wikipedia pt

Etymology[edit]

Unadapted borrowing from English luge, from Swiss French.

Pronunciation[edit]

Noun[edit]

luge m (plural luges)

  1. (uncountable) luge (sport)
  2. (countable) luge (sled used in the sport)

Spanish[edit]

Etymology[edit]

Borrowed from English luge, from Swiss French.

Noun[edit]

luge m (uncountable)

  1. luge (sport)

Further reading[edit]

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