- [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.
- Heavy snow is expected tomorrow.
- in the snow Children were playing in the snow.
- through the snow She saw them trudging through the snow towards the house.
- We got over 100 inches of snow last winter.
- There was almost a foot of snow on the ground.
- 20 cm of snow were expected today.
- The snow didn't settle (= stay on the ground).
- The snow and ice caused a number of traffic accidents.
- Last week's cold temperatures were accompanied by rain and snow.
- Her skin was as white as snow.
Collocations The weatherThe 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/boots
- 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 elements
- 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
Extra ExamplesTopics Weathera1- He grabbed a handful of snow and threw it at Kate.
- I trudged through the snow and ice to the edge of town.
- Southern Europe rarely gets snow.
- The crisp snow crunched as we walked through it.
- The glacier provides skiers with year-round snow cover.
- The heaviest snow is coming down in Maine.
- The porch is currently covered in three feet of snow.
- The snow conditions were excellent.
- The steps were buried under 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.
Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadjective- heavy
- thick
- fine
- …
- flake
- fall
- flurry
- …
- be covered in
- blow
- clear
- …
- cover something
- lie
- pile
- …
- flurry
- shower
- storm
- …
- across the snow
- in snow
- into snow
- …
- snows[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 Mount Kilimanjaro
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.
Idioms
See snow in the Oxford Advanced American DictionarySee snow in the Oxford Learner's Dictionary of Academic Englishas clean, pure, etc. as the driven snow
- extremely clean, pure, etc.
Check pronunciation:
snow