snowball

[snoh-bawl]

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.

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

/ 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

verb

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

   their woes have snowballed since last year

2. (tr) to throw snowballs at

Word History and Origins

Origin of snowball¹

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

Example Sentences

The auto parts maker borrowed around $11 billion in loans and invoice financing while rapidly growing through acquisitions, but ran out of steam this year when its interest costs snowballed.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

That was until Sunday, when - with a snowballing number of Republicans in the House signalling they would vote to release them - the president relented and encouraged them to do so.

Read more on BBC

The selloff has pushed several major indexes roughly halfway to correction territory, raising concerns about whether the market downturn might snowball into something bigger before year-end.

Read more on MarketWatch

That’s because it provides a buffer against many surprise expenses that may wind up as credit-card debt, which is often hard to pay off and snowballs due to high interest rates.

Read more on MarketWatch

Artificial intelligence has snowballed from a technological innovation to the growth driver of the entire economy and a national-security interest.

Read more on MarketWatch

Related Words

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