snowdrift

[snoh-drift]

noun

1. a mound or bank of snow driven together by the wind.

2. snow driven before the wind.

snowdrift

/ ˈsnəʊˌdrɪft /

noun

1. a bank of deep snow driven together by the wind

Word History and Origins

Origin of snowdrift¹

Middle English word dating back to 1250–1300; snow, drift

Example Sentences

By this time there was a snowdrift of torn-up paper heaped around her chair.

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The glacier was covered with slick ice and sweeping snowdrifts and deep crevasses.

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There have been reports of heavy snowdrifts and strong winds in the area.

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Jack woke up facedown in a snowdrift, and for a second—before the cold cut through his shock—he wondered exactly how many times he was going to be knocked out during this quest.

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Sierra-at-Tahoe said on its website that “the storm’s intensity did not let up — in fact it doubled down overnight,” with winds piling up deep snowdrifts that workers were in the process of clearing.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• sleet