Dictionary.com
Thesaurus.com

névé

American  
[nay-vay] / neɪˈveɪ /

noun

  1. granular snow accumulated on high mountains and subsequently compacted into glacial ice.

  2. a field of such snow.


névé British  
/ ˈnɛveɪ /

noun

  1. Also called: firn. a mass of porous ice, formed from snow, that has not yet become frozen into glacier ice

  2. a snowfield at the head of a glacier that becomes transformed into ice

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

névé Scientific  
/ nā-vā′ /
  1. The upper part of a glacier, consisting of hardened snow.

  2. The granular snow typically found in such a field.


Etymology

Origin of névé

1850–55; < Franco-Provençal < Vulgar Latin *nivātum, noun use of neuter of Latin nivātus snow-cooled, equivalent to niv- (stem of nix snow ) + -ātus -ate 1


Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

See Examples For:

In a glacial district this snow mass above the melting line is called the névé.

From Outlines of the Earth's History A Popular Study in Physiography by Nathaniel Southgate Shaler

From the light airy flake, it becomes, in masses, what the geologists term névé.

From The Lake of the Sky Lake Tahoe in the High Sierras of California and Nevada, its History, Indians, Discovery by Frémont, Legendary Lore, Various Namings, Physical Characteristics, Glacial Phenomena, Geology, Single Outlet, Automobile Routes, Historic Towns, Early Mining Excitements, Steamer Ride, Mineral Springs, Mountain and Lake Resorts, Trail and Camping Out Trips, Summer Residences, Fishing, Hunting, Flowers, Birds, Animals, Trees, and Chaparral, with a Full Account of the Tahoe National Forest, the Public Use of the Water of Lake Tahoe and Much Other Interesting Matter by George Wharton James

They were quite invisible, being covered with a thin crust of hardened névé without a sign of a crack in it.

From Scott's Last Expedition Volume I by Robert Falcon Scott

The uppermost crevasse, or "bergschrund," where the névé was attached to the mountain, was from 12 to 14 feet wide, and was bridged in a few places by the remains of snow avalanches.

From The Mountains of California by John Muir

They are always a danger, like the snow cornice and the névé.

From The Silent Barrier by Louis Tracy

Random Word

Spin the wheel and learn a new word!

Get a word

Vocabulary.com logo
by dictionary.com

Join 14,000,000 vocabulary learners

Start learning new words today on VocabTrainer.
You'll remember them forever.

Start training