snowball

American  

[snoh-bawl] / ˈsnoʊˌbɔl /

noun

1. a ball of snow pressed or rolled together, as for throwing.

2. any of several shrubs belonging to the genus Viburnum, of the honeysuckle family, having large clusters of white, sterile flowers.

3. a confection of crushed ice, usually in the shape of a ball, which is flavored with fruit or other syrup and served in a paper cup.

4. a scoop or ball of ice cream covered with shredded coconut and usually chocolate sauce.

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verb (used with object)

1. to throw snowballs at.

2. to cause to grow or become larger, greater, more intense, etc., at an accelerating rate.

   to snowball a small business into a great enterprise.

verb (used without object)

1. to grow or become larger, greater, more intense, etc., at an accelerating rate.

snowball British  

/ ˈsnəʊˌbɔːl /

noun

1. snow pressed into a ball for throwing, as in play

2. a drink made of advocaat and lemonade

3. slang a mixture of heroin and cocaine

4. a dance started by one couple who separate and choose different partners. The process continues until all present are dancing

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verb

1. (intr) to increase rapidly in size, importance, etc

   their woes have snowballed since last year

2. (tr) to throw snowballs at

Etymology

Origin of snowball

1350–1400; Middle English (noun); snow, ball ¹

Example Sentences

And even then, the math gets tricky because I’ve lost out on the “snowball effect” of what those added dollars might have meant — market gains can build on themselves, after all.

From MarketWatch

And if you think that ignoring their wishes is going to snowball into a larger conflict, you could do one small thing to appease them.

From MarketWatch

The questionable charges kept appearing and eventually snowballed into hundreds of thousands of dollars, Haroutunian said.

From The Wall Street Journal

Some districts suggest the confidentiality restrictions are needed to avoid a “snowball effect” of further litigation.

From Los Angeles Times

“It is like a snowball that has been rolling downhill and growing and growing,” Curtis said.

From The Wall Street Journal

Related Words

• escalate
• heighten
• intensify
• multiply
• proliferate
• swell
• widen