snow goose

American

noun

a white North American wild goose, previously classified as the species Chen hyperborea but now considered the light color phase of the blue goose, C. caerulescens.

snow goose British

noun

a North American goose, Anser hyperboreus (or Chen hyperborea or A. caerulescens ), having a white plumage with black wing tips

"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

Etymology

Origin of snow goose

An Americanism dating back to 1765–75

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:

snow goose

She received a lot of attention as the only snow goose in the area and was named Derek, a name which stuck even after it was discovered she was female.

From BBC ● Nov. 12, 2021

In the snow goose study, Barnas compared geese stress levels between days with a drone overflight and days without one.

From Slate ● Nov. 6, 2018

He didn’t know what it was until a buddy told him it was a snow goose.

From Washington Times ● Feb. 20, 2016

It is with our hands that we plant a seedling, carry a re-usable bag and photograph a snow goose.

From Scientific American ● Apr. 2, 2014

His sling had come loose and trailed behind him, and as he tried to roll it up, the snow goose landed on the grass at his side.

From "The Subtle Knife" by Philip Pullman

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Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023