snowball
pronunciation
How to pronounce snowball in British English:
UK [ˈsnəʊbɔ:l]
How to pronounce snowball in American English:
US [ˈsnoʊbɔl]
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- Noun:
- plant having heads of fragrant white trumpet-shaped flowers; grows in sandy arid regions
- ball of ice cream covered with coconut and usually chocolate sauce
- ball of crushed ice with fruit syrup
- snow pressed into a ball for throwing (playfully)
-
- Verb:
- increase or accumulate at a rapidly accelerating rate
- throw snowballs at
Word Origin
- snowball (n.)
- c. 1400, from snow (n.) + ball (n.1). Similar formation in West Frisian sniebal, Middle Dutch sneubal, German Schneeball, Danish snebold. Expression snowball's chance (in hell) "no chance" is recorded by 1910.
- snowball (v.)
- "to make snowballs," 1680s, from snowball (n.); sense of "to throw snowballs at" (someone) is from 1850. Meaning "to increase rapidly" is attested from 1929, though the image of a snowball increasing in size as it rolls along had been used since at least 1613, and a noun sense of "a pyramid scheme" is attested from 1892. Related: Snowballed; snowballing.
Example
- 1. Its move should also have a snowball effect .
- 2. Such gains are likely to snowball .
- 3. We always play outside , have snowball fight , and make snow man .
- 4. First frost meant magic snowball time .
- 5. All we to see is snowball bill , rolling past him .