▪ I. luge, n.
(luːʒ)
[Swiss dialect.]
A sledge, of Swiss origin, of the bob-sleigh type. Also attrib.
| 1905 Sci. Amer. Suppl. 15 Apr. 24488/1 The ‘luge’ is a small sled peculiar to the Grisons. 1907 Ladies' Field 19 Jan. 278 On the ascent the luge flies straight up into the air. 1919 Daily Mail 10 Dec., (caption) A pair of winter holiday-makers in Switzerland enjoying a run on a Canadian luge. 1968 Globe & Mail (Toronto) 13 Jan. 41/4 Canada's luge team..will be announced Monday. The Canadian luge championships are scheduled Sunday. |
Hence luge v. intr., to toboggan on a luge. Also ˈlugeing, ˈluging vbl. n., ˈluger.
| 1907 Ladies' Field 19 Jan. 278 The gentle art of Luging... Les Avants is the most obvious place from which to luge... Caux is the only other [place] where lugers assemble in force. 1909 Westm. Gaz. 26 Jan. 5/2 Les Avants..has one of the finest natural luging courses in Europe. 1924 Yorksh. Post 28 Jan. 10/7 There is good curling, bob sleighing, and lugeing. 1927 Daily Express 28 Dec. 3/1 Youths..‘luged’ in a reckless, haphazard style. |
Add: b. The sport involving such toboggans, in which each competing individual or pair completes in turn a timed descent of the course.
| 1966 H. Bass Winter Sports i. 5 International Luge Federation. 1976 All about Games (Com. Org. des Jeux Olympiques) 27 The Winter Games program includes..luge, skating and skiing. 1980 C. James in Observer 24 Feb. i. 20/8 The luge is pretty tricky..since you have to lie on your back standing to attention with your head pointing up the hill while you are travelling very rapidly down it. 1986 R. Ford Sportswriter ii. 50 Body building, sky-diving, the luge. 1994 Time Out 16 Feb. 144/5 Day five sees the finals of the women's luge, the freestyle moguls skiing and the men's 1,500m speed-skating. |
▪ II. luge
obs. Sc. form of lodge n. and v.