snow
snow
Pronunciation
The IPA phonetic spelling for "snow" is /snoʊ/.
/snoʊ/ - The word "snow" consists of a single syllable.
Word Form Variations
Singular Noun: snow
Plural Noun: snows
Third-person singular present verb: snows
Present participle verb: snowing
Past tense verb: snowed
Past participle verb: snowed
Definitions, Synonyms and Antonyms
Noun
A form of precipitation consisting of tiny ice crystals that fall in flakes, typically white and soft, forming a layer on the ground when the air temperature is at or below freezing.
Synonyms: sleet, hail (though hail is typically harder and icier), powder (colloquial for fresh snow)
Antonyms: rain, sun (as in sunny weather)
Verb
(Intransitive) To fall as snow; for snow to descend from the atmosphere.
Example: It began to snow heavily around midnight.
Synonyms: precipitate, flurry (when light and intermittent)
Antonyms: clear up, melt (referring to existing snow)
(Transitive, informal) To impress, deceive, or overwhelm someone with elaborate, often insincere, talk or actions.
Example: He tried to snow us with his complicated jargon, but we weren't fooled.
Synonyms: bamboozle, hoodwink, deceive, impress, overwhelm
Antonyms: clarify, enlighten, undeceive
Examples of Use
Books: "The snow lay thick on the ground, muffling all sound, making the world a place of hushed, white beauty." (From The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe by C.S. Lewis, 1950)
Newspapers: "Heavy snowfall across the Alps has led to significant travel disruptions, with several major passes closed." (The Guardian)
Online Publications: "How Climate Change is Affecting Global Snowpacks and Water Resources" (National Geographic online)
Entertainment Mediums (Film): In the movie Fargo, a central plot point revolves around bodies buried in the snow. (1996)
Entertainment Platforms (Music): "Let It Snow! Let It Snow! Let It Snow!" (Classic song performed by Frank Sinatra, 1948)
General Public Discourse: "I hope it doesn't snow tomorrow; I have to drive early."
General Public Discourse (Figurative Use): "Don't try to snow me with those excuses; I know what really happened."
10 Quotes Using Snow
“The snow itself is an accumulation.” (George W. Bush)
"A cold, dreary day, with a fine rain falling, and a little snow mixed with it, was just the sort of weather to make the fire bright and the hearth snug." (Charles Dickens, Sketches by Boz)
"I wonder if the snow loves the trees and fields, that it kisses them so gently? And then it covers them up snug, you know, with a white quilt; and perhaps it says, 'Go to sleep, darlings, till the summer comes again.'" (Lewis Carroll, Alice's Adventures in Wonderland)
"The snow was not only a spectacle, but a presence." (Wallace Stegner, Angle of Repose)
"Love is like snow, it falls softly but covers everything." (Unknown)
"When snow falls, nature listens." (Unknown)
"To appreciate the beauty of a snowflake, it is necessary to stand out in the cold." (Aristotle)
"The snow doesn't give a soft white damn whom it touches." (E. E. Cummings)
"The first snow is like the first love." (Lara Biyuts)
"The snow covered the earth, but the stars were still visible." (Unknown)
Etymology
The word "snow" has a very old and interesting history, tracing its roots back thousands of years!
Imagine our very distant ancestors, observing the white stuff falling from the sky. They would have needed a way to talk about it. The word we use today, "snow," comes from an Old English word called "snaw." This "snaw" meant not just the frozen flakes themselves, but also a snowfall or a snowstorm.
But we can go back even further! "Snaw" itself came from a really ancient language family called Proto-Germanic (which is like the grandparent language of English, German, Dutch, and others). In Proto-Germanic, the word was something like "*snaiwaz."
And before that, linguists believe it came from an even older, shared ancestor language called Proto-Indo-European. The word for "snow" in that ancient language would have sounded something like "*sneygwh-" or "*snóygʷʰos." This root word not only referred to "snow" but also had a connection to "to wet" or "to flow," which makes sense given that snow eventually melts into water.
So, the first known use and meaning of "snow" (as a noun) in English specifically goes back to the Old English period, before the year 1150. It meant the frozen water falling from the sky, a fall of it, or even a snowstorm. The verb "to snow" (as in, for snow to fall) appeared a bit later, around the 14th century, essentially coming directly from the noun.
Phrases + Idioms Containing Snow
Snow day: A day when school or work is canceled due to heavy snowfall.
White as snow: Extremely white or pure.
As pure as the driven snow: Morally innocent or untainted.
To be snowed under: To have too much work or too many things to do.
To snow someone: To deceive or impress someone with elaborate talk.
To have a snowball's chance in hell: To have no chance at all.
A snowball effect: A situation in which something small or insignificant gradually grows in importance or size.
Snow blind: Temporarily unable to see clearly due to bright sunlight reflecting off snow.
Snow job: Deliberate deception or misleading talk.
To be walking in a winter wonderland (with snow often implied): To be enjoying a beautiful, snowy environment.
Vocabulary-Based Stories from SEA
Source Information
Definition of snow from The Academic Glossary at Self Exploration Academy, a Urikville Press Publication. © All rights reserved.
