- 1 [uncountable] small soft white pieces (called flakes ) of frozen water that fall from the sky in cold weather; this substance when it is lying on the ground Snow was falling heavily. We had snow in May this year. The snow was beginning to melt. Children were playing in the snow. 20 cm of snow were expected today. The snow didn't settle (= stay on the ground). Her skin was as white as snow. CollocationsThe weatherGood weather be bathed in/bask in/be blessed with/enjoy bright/brilliant/glorious sunshine the sun shines/warms something/beats down (on something) the sunshine breaks/streams through something fluffy/wispy clouds drift across the sky a gentle/light/stiff/cool/warm/sea breeze blows in/comes in off the sea the snow crunches beneath/under somebody’s feet/bootsBad weather thick/dark/storm clouds form/gather/roll in/cover the sky/block out the sun the sky darkens/turns black a fine mist hangs in the air a dense/heavy/thick fog rolls in the rain falls/comes down (in buckets/sheets)/pours down snow falls/comes down/covers something the wind blows/whistles/howls/picks up/whips through something/sweeps across something strong/gale-force winds blow/gust (up to 80 mph) a storm is approaching/is moving inland/hits/strikes/rages thunder rolls/rumbles/sounds (forked/sheet) lightning strikes/hits/flashes a (blinding/snow) blizzard hits/strikes/blows/rages a tornado touches down/hits/strikes/destroys something/rips through something forecast/expect/predict rain/snow/a category-four hurricane (North American English) pour (down)/ (British English) pour (down) with rain get caught in/seek shelter from/escape the rain be covered/shrouded in mist/a blanket of fog be in for/brave/shelter from a/the storm hear rolling/distant thunder be battered/buffeted by strong winds (British English) be blowing a gale battle against/brave the elementsThe weather improves the sun breaks through the clouds the sky clears/brightens (up)/lightens (up) the clouds part/clear the rain stops/lets up/holds off the wind dies down the storm passes the mist/fog lifts/clears Wordfindersnowavalanche, blizzard, drift, flurry, hail, icicle, sleet, slush, snow, thaw Oxford Collocations Dictionary adjectiveheavy, thick, fine, … … of snowflake, fall, flurry, … verb + snowbe covered in, blow, clear, … snow + verbcover something, lie, pile, … snow + nounflurry, shower, storm, … prepositionacross the snow, in snow, into snow, … See full entry See related entries: Winter sports, Snow and ice
- 2snows [plural] (literary) an amount of snow that falls in one particular place or at one particular time the first snows of winter the snows of Everest Word OriginOld English snāw, of Germanic origin; related to Dutch sneeuw and German Schnee, from an Indo-European root shared by Latin nix, niv- and Greek nipha.Extra examples He grabbed a handful of snow and threw it at Kate. I trudged through the snow and ice to the edge of town. It was too warm for the snow to settle. She bought a plastic snow globe with the Eiffel Tower inside. She cleared the snow from the path. Snow covered everything from horizon to horizon. Snow had piled up against the walls of the cottage. Southern Europe rarely gets snow. The car was completely covered in snow. The children are playing in the snow. The crisp snow crunched as we walked through it. The frozen snow was treacherous to walk on. The glacier provides skiers with year-round snow cover. The heaviest snow is coming down in Maine. The plants were covered in fine snow. The porch is currently covered in three feet of snow. The snow conditions were excellent. The steps were buried under the snow. The sun came out and melted all the snow. There was a light dusting of snow on the ground. There were great big piles of snow on the road outside. They had to use artificial snow at the Winter Olympics. They struggled on through the driving snow. They travelled across the snow in a sleigh. Three inches of snow fell had fallen. We struggled through the deep snow back to the chalet. We walked across the snow to the road. We’re expecting snow over the next few days. the first snow of winter 20cm of snow was expected today. Her skin was as white as snow. It’s been snowing heavily all day. Snow was falling heavily. The snow didn’t settle.Idioms
extremely clean, pure, etc.
Check pronunciation: snow
