snow
A1Neutral, used in all registers from technical to poetic.
Definition
Meaning
Atmospheric precipitation in the form of white, delicate ice crystals that fall and accumulate on surfaces.
1) To deceive or charm someone with persuasive but insincere talk. 2) A substance resembling snow in appearance (e.g., TV static, cocaine). 3) To overwhelm someone with excessive information, work, or attention.
Linguistics
Semantic Notes
As a noun, it can be countable ('heavy snows') or, more commonly, uncountable ('lots of snow'). The verb sense meaning 'to deceive' is informal, derived from the idea of blinding someone with a flurry of words.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
No significant difference in core meaning. In the UK, 'snow' is often associated with disruption (e.g., 'snow chaos'). In parts of the US, regular snowfall is a normative winter condition.
Connotations
UK: Disruption, rarity, picturesque inconvenience. US: Routine winter weather (in northern states), novelty or disruption (in southern states).
Frequency
The verb 'to snow' is equally common in both varieties. Collocations with weather events like 'nor'easter' (US) or 'Beast from the East' (UK) show regional weather vocabulary.
Vocabulary
Collocations
Grammar
Valency Patterns
It snowed heavily.We got snowed in.Don't let him snow you with promises.The report snowed us under with data.Vocabulary
Synonyms
Strong
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “Snowed under (with work)”
- “A snowball's chance in hell”
- “Snow job”
- “Pure as the driven snow”
Usage
Context Usage
Business
Informal: 'We're snowed under with end-of-quarter reports.'
Academic
Meteorological: 'The study examined albedo effects of seasonal snow cover.'
Everyday
'The kids are hoping for snow so school is cancelled.'
Technical
Physics: 'Snow forms through deposition of water vapour onto a crystalline nucleus.'
Examples
By Part of Speech
verb
British English
- It's starting to snow quite hard.
- They tried to snow the inspector with technical jargon.
- We were completely snowed in for three days.
American English
- It's supposed to snow six inches tonight.
- Don't let the salesman snow you.
- The office was snowed under with complaints.
adjective
British English
- We need to clear the snow-covered path.
- They cancelled due to snow-related delays.
- The snow-blinded climbers needed rescue.
American English
- The snow-blown road was impassable.
- We bought a new snow shovel.
- They're calling for snow flurries later.
Examples
By CEFR Level
- Look! It is snowing.
- The snow is white.
- I like to play in the snow.
- The mountains have snow on top.
- Heavy snow caused traffic problems this morning.
- The first snow of winter fell overnight.
- If it snows tomorrow, we'll build a snowman.
- The field was covered in a blanket of snow.
- The radio warned of drifting snow on the motorways.
- We were snowed in for two days after the blizzard.
- The politician's speech was just a snow job, full of empty promises.
- The recent snows have been exceptional for this time of year.
- The sheer volume of data threatened to snow the research team under.
- Her reputation remains as pure as the driven snow despite the scandal.
- The avalanche was triggered by a sudden slab of snow detaching from the cornice.
- He attempted to snow the committee with a barrage of irrelevant statistics.
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Think of the 'S' shape in 'snow' as a winding, snowy path. 'S' for 'soft', 'N' for 'noisy' (when you crunch it), 'OW' for the cold feeling.
Conceptual Metaphor
PURITY (as white as snow), OVERWHELM (snowed under), DECEPTION (snow job), EPHEMERALITY (melts away).
Watch out
Common Pitfalls
Translation Traps (for Russian speakers)
- Do not use 'snow' for 'snowfall' as in Russian 'снег'. 'Snowfall' is the event/amount; 'snow' is the substance.
- The verb 'to snow' does not mean 'to go snowmobiling'. Use specific verbs like 'to ski' or 'to sled'.
- 'Snow' as a verb for deception has no direct equivalent in Russian; it's an idiom.
- Avoid translating 'снег кружится' directly as 'snow is spinning'; use 'snow is swirling/falling'.
Common Mistakes
- Incorrect: 'There is a snow outside.' Correct: 'There is snow outside.' (uncountable) OR 'There is a snowfall outside.'
- Incorrect: 'I like the snows.' Correct: 'I like the snow.' (usually uncountable) OR 'I like heavy snows.' (countable for events).
- Incorrect: 'It snows much in winter.' Correct: 'It snows a lot in winter.'
Practice
Quiz
What does the idiom 'a snowball's chance in hell' mean?
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
Primarily uncountable (e.g., 'lots of snow'). It can be countable when referring to multiple instances or falls of snow (e.g., 'the heavy snows of 2010').
Snow is frozen ice crystals. Sleet is partially melted snow or rain/snow mix that freezes before hitting the ground. Hail is layered balls of ice formed in thunderstorms.
It's an idiom meaning to be overwhelmed or buried by a large amount of work, tasks, or information.
Yes. The impersonal construction 'It is snowing' or 'It snowed' is standard. The verb can also mean 'to deceive' (informal) or 'to overwhelm'.
Collections
Part of a collection
Weather
A2 · 45 words · Describing the weather, climate and seasons.