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Snowdrift - Meaning, Definition & English Examples

A snowdrift is a mound or bank of snow piled up by the wind, often forming against obstacles like trees or buildings. It can block pathways or create deep, uneven snow cover.

snowdrift

/ˈsnoʊˌdrɪft/ /ˈsnəʊˌdrɪft/

Definition:

A bank of snow piled up by the wind.

Synonyms:

snowbank, drift, mound, heap

Part of Speech:

noun

Antonyms:

clear ground, bare patch

Common Collocations:

deep snowdrift, towering snowdrift, windblown snowdrift

Derivatives:

snowdrifting (gerund), snowdrifty (adjective)

Usage Tips:

Use "snowdrift" to describe wind-formed snow piles, not just any accumulation.

Common Phrases:

buried in a snowdrift, lost in a snowdrift, a sea of snowdrifts

Etymology:

From Old English "snāw" (snow) + "drifan" (to drive).

Examples:

  • 1. The car got stuck in a deep snowdrift overnight.
  • 2. We built a fort inside the towering snowdrift near the fence.
  • 3. The wind created massive snowdrifts across the open field overnight.
  • 4. She disappeared behind a snowy curtain of swirling snowdrifts on the trail.
  • 5. Our boots crunched through the frozen crust of the roadside snowdrift.

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