snow
gb/snˈoʊ/ us/snˈoʊ/
A1
English
~ 2700
Senses
0 senses
Noun
A1
event
1
Frozen water falling from clouds
Soft white ice that falls from the sky when it is cold.
Usage pattern:
[snow] falls
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes confuse 'snow' (uncountable) with a countable noun and say 'a snow' instead of 'snow' or 'a snowfall'.
Synonyms
snowfall (Refers specifically to the event or amount of snow falling, not snow on the ground.)
Antonyms
rain (Liquid precipitation, opposite in form to snow.)
Collocations
heavy snow
|falling snow
|snow storm
|fresh snow
|deep snow
Themes
weather
|nature
|seasons
Examples
- The children ran outside to play in the fresh snow.
- Snow began to cover the streets during the night.
- Heavy snow caused delays at the airport.
- The mountains are covered in snow all winter.
- We woke up to see snow on the trees.
Learner examples
- Snow is falling from the sky.
- The ground is white with snow.
- I like to play in the snow.
- Snow covers the road in winter.
Verb
A1
event
2
For snow to fall from clouds
When soft white ice falls from the sky.
Usage pattern:
it [snows]
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes use 'snow' for other forms of precipitation, saying 'It is snowing' when it is actually raining or hailing.
Synonyms
precipitate (A more technical or scientific term for any form of water falling from the atmosphere, not just snow.)
Antonyms
clear up (When precipitation stops and skies become clear.)
Collocations
snow heavily
|snow lightly
|start to snow
Themes
weather
|nature
Examples
- It’s expected to snow all night.
- It started to snow just before we left.
- It rarely snows in this part of the country.
Learner examples
- It is going to snow tonight.
- It is snowing now.
- Does it snow in your city?
Noun
slang
B2
entity
3
Slang for cocaine
A slang word for the illegal drug cocaine in powder form.
Common mistake:
Learners may confuse this slang meaning with actual frozen precipitation if context is unclear.
Synonyms
coke (Common slang term for cocaine; slightly more widely recognized.)
Collocations
deal snow
|snort snow
Themes
slang
|drugs
|health
Examples
- The police found a large amount of snow hidden in the car.
- He was arrested for selling snow on the street.
- They say he’s been using snow for years.
Learner examples
- Snow is a slang word for cocaine.
- He was caught with snow by the police.
- Snow is an illegal drug.
Verb
informal
B2
action
4
To deceive or charm with talk
To trick or persuade someone by talking a lot or saying things that sound good but may not be true.
Usage pattern:
[someone] [snows] [someone else] with [something]
Common mistake:
Learners might think it has something to do with actual weather rather than persuasion or deception.
Synonyms
con (To trick or cheat someone, often for personal gain.)
Antonyms
be honest with (To speak truthfully without deception.)
Collocations
snow someone under with facts
|snow someone into doing something
Themes
communication
|deception
|relationships
Examples
- He tried to snow me with technical jargon I didn’t understand.
- Don’t let them snow you into signing that contract.
- She can really snow an audience when she wants to.
Learner examples
- He tried to snow me with big words.
- She can snow people into believing her story.
- They tried to snow us into buying it.
Grammar
Dictionary form
snow
IPA
GB/snˈoʊ/
US/snˈoʊ/
Syllables & stress
snow (1 syllable)
Stress on 1st syllable (snow)
Word forms
Noun
- Base: snow
- Plural: snow, snows
Verb
- Base: snow
- 3rd Person Singular: snows
- Present Participle: snowing
- Past: snowed
Word family
Expressions
snow day
1/snˈoʊ dˈeɪ/
fixed phrase
Day off due to heavy snowfall
A day when school or work is closed because of a lot of snow.
Examples
- The kids were happy when they heard it was a snow day.
- We had three snow days last winter.
snow job
1/snˈoʊ d͡ʒˈɑb/
idiom
informal
Deceptive talk meant to persuade
A way of talking to someone that tries to trick them into believing something that isn’t true.
Examples
- That salesman gave me a real snow job about the car’s condition.
- Don’t fall for his snow job; he just wants your money.
snowed under
1/snˈoʊd ˈʌndɚ/
idiom
informal
Overwhelmed with work or tasks
To have so much work or so many things to do that it is hard to manage them all.
Examples
- I can’t go out tonight; I’m snowed under with paperwork.
- We’re snowed under trying to meet the deadline.
pure as the driven snow
1/pjˈʊɹ ˈæz ðə dɹˈɪvən snˈoʊ/
idiom
literary
Completely innocent and good
Very good and without bad thoughts or actions.
Examples
- She seems pure as the driven snow, but appearances can be deceiving.
- She acts as if she’s pure as the driven snow, but she’s not perfect.
- He claims to be pure as the driven snow.
- He’s not exactly pure as the driven snow when it comes to business dealings.