Etymologically
Log in

snowfall

This is the current revision of this entry, as edited by bogdan on 1 November 2026 at 02:50. This address is a permanent link to this version.
Changes in this edit History

Pronunciation

  • /ˈsnoʊfɔːl/[1]

Etymology

It is a compound from English snow + fall.[2][3][4] The OED compares German Schneefall, Swedish snöfall and Old Norse snjófall.[2]

Earliest recorded meaning

A fall of snow, especially a quiet one as distinguished from a snowstorm: 1815 in Etymonline.[3] Dictionary.com dates the word to 1815–25, Merriam-Webster to 1821, and the OED's first quotation is from 1821, in W. C. Wells's essay on dew.[4][5][2]

Semantic evolution

From a single fall of snow, or the quantity falling in a given time, the word came to be used in meteorology for the amount of snow that falls at a particular place, from 1875.[2][3][6] The OED also records figurative use.[2]

Timeline

  • 1815 – a fall of snow.[3] The OED dates this sense to 1821.[2][5]
  • 1875 – the amount of snow falling at a particular place.[2][3]

Meanings

Noun

  1. A fall of snow: A light snowfall dusted the hills overnight.[6][5][2]
  2. (meteorology) The amount of snow that falls in a given place over a given period.[6][5][2]

References

  1. ^ Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h i Oxford English Dictionary Online (accessed March 2026), Oxford: Oxford University Press
  3. ^ a b c d e Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
  4. ^ a b Dictionary.com Unabridged (2016), based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, New York: Random House
  5. ^ a b c d Merriam-Webster Unabridged Dictionary (2024), online ed., Springfield, Mass.: Merriam-Webster
  6. ^ a b c Collins English Dictionary (2023), Glasgow: HarperCollins