Snow

Snow, snō, n. the crystalline form into which the excess of vapour in the atmosphere is condensed when the temperature is below freezing: a snowfall: a winter: (her.) white argent.—v.i. and v.t. to fall in snow, to cover with snow.—n. Snow′ball, a ball made of snow pressed hard together: a shrub bearing a round white flower, the guelder-rose: a round pudding of rice with an apple in the centre, a mass of boiled rice shaped in a cup: white of egg beaten stiff and placed on the surface of a custard.—v.t. to throw snowballs at.—v.i. to throw snowballs.—ns. Snow′-ber′ry, a bushy, deciduous shrub, bearing white berries; Snow′-bird, a North American bird of the Finch family, the upper parts lead-colour, the lower parts white.—adj. Snow′-blind, affected with snow-blindness.—ns. Snow′-blind′ness, amblyopia caused by the reflection of light from snow; Snow′-blink, a peculiar reflection arising from fields of snow, like ice-blink; Snow′-boot, a boot made to protect the feet while walking in snow; Snow′-box, a theatrical apparatus for representing a snowfall; Snow′-break, a melting of snow; Snow′-broth, snow and water mixed, any very cold liquid; Snow′-bunt′ing, Snow′-flick, a bird of the Finch family, Bunting sub-family, abounding in the Arctic regions.—adjs. Snow′-capped, -capt, covered with snow; Snow′-cold, as cold as snow.—ns. Snow′-drift, a bank of snow drifted together by the wind; Snow′drop, a genus of plants of the natural order Amaryllis, with bell-shaped flower arising from a spathe, bulbous root, two leaves and one single-flowered leafless stem.—ns.pl. Snow′-eyes, -gogg′les, an Eskimo contrivance to prevent snow-blindness.—n. Snow′fall, a quiet fall of snow: the amount falling in a given time.—adj. Snow′-fed, begun or increased by melted snow, as a stream.—ns. Snow′field, a wide range of snow, esp. where permanent; Snow′-finch, the stone- or mountain-finch; Snow′flake, a feathery flake of snow: the snow-bunting: a bulbous-rooted garden flower, resembling the snowdrop, but larger; Snow′-fly, a perlid insect or kind of stone-fly found leaping on the snow; Snow′-ice, ice formed from freezing slush.—adv. Snow′ily.—n. Snow′iness.—adjs. Snow′ish, resembling snow; Snow′less; Snow′-like; Snow′-limbed, with limbs white as snow.—ns. Snow′line, the line upon a mountain that marks the limit of [Image: Snowshoe.] perpetual snow; Snow′-owl, the great white owl of northern regions; Snow′-plough, a machine for clearing roads and railways from snow; Snow′shoe, a great flat shoe worn to prevent sinking in the snow.—v.i. to walk or travel on such.—ns. Snow′-slip, a mass of snow which slips down a mountain's side; Snow′storm, a storm accompanied with falling snow.—adj. Snow′-white, as white as snow: very white.—n. Snow′-wreath (Scot.), a snowdrift.—adj. Snow′y, abounding or covered with snow: white, like snow: pure. [A.S. snáw; Ger. schnee, L. nix, nivis.]