snowfield

[ snoh-feeld ]

/ ˈsnoʊˌfild /

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noun Geology.

a large and relatively permanent expanse of snow.

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His boss, whom he admires, is waiting to meet with him about the big project.

His boss, who he admires, is waiting to meet with him about the big project.

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Origin of snowfield

First recorded in 1835–45; snow + field

Words nearby snowfield

snowdrop, snowdrop tree, snowed, snowfall, snow fence, snowfield, snowflake, snowflake baby, snow gauge, snow goose, snow grains

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use snowfield in a sentence

Aguiló soon came into their view and they watched him slowly descend to a prominent triangular snowfield, still 1,000 feet of technical climbing above the glacier.
Legendary Alpinist Corrado Pesce Dies During an Icefall on Patagonia’s Cerro Torre|cobrien|February 4, 2022|Outside Online
It broke free from a snowfield on a slope that was between 35 and 38 degrees—that’s the pitch of an intermediate run at your local ski resort.
How Could a Trail Fit for a Toddler Be the Site of a Deadly Disaster?|Fred Dreier|January 21, 2022|Outside Online
It was a massive snow year for the Sierra, and Heinbockel spent some 500 miles trekking across snowfields, enduring swollen river crossings and passing days alone in sections that more cautious hikers had opted to skip.
Could Thru-Hiking Be Bad For Your Health? A New Study Makes a Troubling Find.|syadron|July 14, 2021|Outside Online
The moon just showed over the mountains in that direction which cast their strange black shadows on the snowfield.
Mount Everest the Reconnaissance, 1921|Charles Kenneth Howard-Bury

Arcot turned a powerful searchlight on it, and it stood out brightly against the vast snowfield.
Islands of Space|John W Campbell
For example, within a snowfield the summers remain relatively cold.
Climatic Changes|Ellsworth Huntington
The great snowfield overhead sparkled as if set with thousands and thousands of gold and silver stars.
Heidi|Johanna Spyri
A packed snowfield was underfoot, firm enough to hold our weight, with a foot or so of loose, soft snow on its top.
Beyond the Vanishing Point|Raymond King Cummings

British Dictionary definitions for snowfield

snowfield

/ (ˈsnəʊˌfiːld) /

noun

a large area of permanent snow

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

Scientific definitions for snowfield

snowfield

[ snō′fēld′ ]

A large expanse of snow, usually with a smooth and uniform surface, and especially at the head of a glacier.