snow

SaySNOH/snoʊ̯//snəʊ̯/

Pluralsnows (some meanings)

Verbsnows, snowing, snowed

22 meanings of snow

Practice

1
noununcountable
Soft white flakes of frozen water from the sky, a fall of them, or the layer they make on the ground.
Like tiny white flakes of ice that drift down and pile up like a soft blanket.
The children played in the snow all afternoon.
Fresh snow covered the rooftops by morning.
UsageSay a lot of snow or heavy snow.
2
be fallingverbintransitive
To fall from the sky as white frozen flakes, used with the word 'it'.
Like rain, but cold and white instead of wet drops.
It might snow tonight if the temperature drops.
They worried it would snow before the harvest finished.
UsageSay it is snowing or it snowed.
Note
3
cover oververbtransitive
To cover or sprinkle something with snow, or with bits that look like snow.
Even the Horſe wee ride / Vnſhod, would founder, who takes greateſt pride, / When the moſt curb'd, and playing with the bit, / Hee ſnowes the ground [with froth from his mouth], and doth the Spurre forgit.
1635, Thomas Heywood, “Londini Sinus Salutis, or, Londons Harbour of Health, and Happinesse.. The Speech of Mars.”
Note
4
white colornouncountable or uncountable
A pure, bright white color, like that of fresh snow.
Her new sneakers came in snow, black, and red.
Her gown was the purest snow from collar to hem.
UsageSay snow-white for this color.
Similarwhite
Note

Less common meanings

5
screen staticnounfigurativelycountable or uncountable
The fuzzy moving dots on a screen when there is no signal.
Like a screen full of tiny dancing white and black spots.
The old television showed nothing but snow after the cable went out.
Static turned the broadcast to snow during the storm.
UsageSay the screen is full of snow.
Similarstatic, noise
Note
6
cocainenounslangcountable or uncountable
An illegal drug, usually cocaine, sometimes heroin or morphine.
The dealer was caught with a kilo of snow in his trunk.
They spent the whole night doing snow at the back of the club.
Similarcoke, blow, powder, charlie, flake
Note
7
foolverbslangfigurativelytransitive
To trick or fool someone, often with flattery or confusing talk.
Like burying the truth under so many words that no one can see it.
He tried to snow the teacher with a long, confusing excuse.
Don't let those salesmen snow you with fancy promises.
UsageSay someone snowed you with big words.
Similarbamboozle, hoodwink, con, dupe, fool
Note
8
verbfigurativelyintransitive
To fall down slowly in many small pieces like snow, or to make things fall that way.
Like leaves drifting down slowly from a tree.
Confetti can snow down for minutes after the finale.
Blossoms snowed onto the path all afternoon.
UsageSay petals snowed down on them.
Note
9
dry icenouncountable or uncountable
A frozen substance that looks like snow but is not water, often frozen carbon dioxide.
Like the white frost that forms when something gets very, very cold.
When the gas cooled, it formed a white snow on the pipe.
The cylinder vented a powdery snow of frozen gas.
UsageSay carbon dioxide snow.
10
whipped dessertnouncountable
A light, fluffy dish, or part of one, that looks like snow, often made with beaten egg whites.
Like a soft, sweet cloud that you can eat.
She spooned a light lemon snow over the warm pudding.
The dessert was topped with a fluffy snow made from egg whites.
UsageSay apple snow or lemon snow.
Note
11
white hairnounfigurativelycountable or uncountable
The white hair on an older person's head.
Like a head covered in soft white, the color of fresh snow.
Years of worry had turned his hair to snow.
The years had left snow in her hair, but her eyes were still young.
Note
12
turn hair whiteverbfigurativelytransitive
To make someone's hair turn white.
Similarwhiten, silver
13
a winternounliterarycountable
A winter, or a season when snow falls.
Like counting years, but each one is a cold winter.
He had not seen his homeland in many a snow.
The elders measured their age in snows survived.
UsageSay eighty snows for eighty winters.
Similarwinter
Note
14
sedateverbslangfigurativelyUStransitive
To drug someone so they become very sleepy or hard to wake up.
Like putting someone into a deep sleep with medicine.
The staff snowed the patient with strong medicine to calm him down.
Some clinics snow difficult patients instead of talking to them.
UsagePeople say someone was snowed or looked snowed.
Similarsedate, dope, drug, tranquilize
Note
15
white blossomnounfigurativelycountable or uncountable
A mass of white flowers that looks like fallen snow.
Like a white blanket made of flowers instead of real snow.
Every spring the hedges were covered in a soft snow of hawthorn blossom.
The orchard wore a snow of white petals after the trees bloomed.
UsageSay a snow of blossom.
Note
16
sea spraynounfigurativelycountable or uncountable
White foam or spray thrown up by the sea.
Like white bubbles on the water that look a bit like snow.
Waves crashed on the rocks and threw up a fine snow of spray.
A salty snow blew off the breaking waves onto the shore.
Similarspray, foam, spume
17
white marblenounliteraryfigurativelycountable or uncountable
Pure white marble, prized for its bright, clean color.
Ere now marmoreal floods had spread their couch / Of perdurable snow, or granite wrought / Its skyward impulse from earth's hearth of fire / Up to insanest heights.
1848, Philip James Bailey, “Proëm”Here, snow means pure white marble, bright like snow.
Similarmarble
Note
18
laundrynoundatedfigurativelycountable or uncountable
Clean white linen that has just been washed.
Similarlinen, laundry, washing
Note
19
verbslang
To trick a poker player into folding by betting on a worthless hand.
20
noun
Short for marine snow: tiny bits of dead matter that slowly sink down through the ocean.
21
nounslang
Money, especially coins made of silver.
22
noun
An old two-masted sailing ship, with a small extra mast behind the rear one, used for trade or war.
An ESTIMATE made of the Annual Expence of a Snow of 120 Tons, and 48 Men (Officers included) Mounting 12 Carriage Guns, beſides Swivels.
1763, Stephen Theodore Janssen [i.e., Sir Stephen Janssen, 4th Baronet], Smuggling Laid Open in All Its Extensive and Destructive BranchesHere, Snow means a two-masted sailing ship.

Practice

Can you tell the meanings of snow apart? Answer 3 quick questions from this page, or write your own sentence and AI will check it.

Origin

The word comes from Old English "snāw," meaning snow. It goes back through old Germanic words to an ancient Indo-European root meaning snow or to snow.

Checked 1 Nov 2026 · 2 facts

Snow derives from Old English snāw, meaning snow. en.wiktionary.org
Its ancestry passes through Germanic forms to an Indo-European root meaning snow or to snow. en.wiktionary.org