ski
Word family
Synonym discussion
Sense: verb/1
Ski, snowboard, sled, and skate all describe moving over a surface on some kind of runner or blade. To ski specifically refers to gliding over snow on two long narrow boards attached to boots, often using poles for balance. To snowboard uses a single wide board, with both feet strapped onto it at an angle. To sled (or sledge in British English) means sitting or lying on a small vehicle that slides downhill for fun, with no need for special balance. To skate (on ice) uses boots with blades underneath and is done on an ice rink. For example: "Evelyn skied down the mountain at high speed, while her brother snowboarded beside her. Later, the children sledded on a small hill and then went to the rink to skate."
Common collocations
Etymology
The word ski came into English from Norwegian, where it originally meant 'a piece of wood' or 'a snowshoe.' The Old Norse source word skíð referred broadly to a split log or stick. Norwegian farmers and hunters used long wooden boards to travel across snow for centuries before the activity became a modern sport. English speakers borrowed the word in the mid-18th century, and skiing as a recreational sport spread worldwide in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.