Meaning & use
musher
Last updated
Meaning
nouncountable
a person who drives a sled pulled by dogs, especially in races
Grammar: Countable: one musher, two mushers; often used with 'dog sled' or race names.
Patterns
- a musher in a race
- an experienced musher
The musher guided the team of huskies through the snowy forest.
Each musher must care for the dogs before, during, and after the race.
Spectators cheered as the musher and sled crossed the finish line.
Word forms
| plural | mushers |
|---|
Common combinations
- dog musher
- A dog musher spends hours training the animals.
- sled dog musher
- The sled dog musher wore a thick parka.
- experienced musher
- An experienced musher knows how to handle sudden storms.
- musher race
- The musher race covers over a thousand miles.
Synonyms and how they differ
- sled driver
- A general term for anyone who drives a sled, but it can also refer to motorized sleds; 'musher' is specific to dog teams.
- dog handler
- This usually means someone who works with dogs in general, not necessarily driving a sled.
Word family
- mush verb
- To travel by dog sled, or to command dogs to go (informal).
Commonly confused: musher or masher?
musher vs masher
'Masher' is a kitchen tool or an old-fashioned term for a man who bothers women; it sounds similar but has nothing to do with dog sledding.
Practice
Which sentence uses 'musher' correctly?
Choose one answer.
A musher is a person who drives a dog sled, so shouting commands to dogs fits. Cooking soup, repairing an engine, or planting flowers does not relate to dog sledding.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “musher”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.