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Meaning & use

snow drift

noun·Everyday

Last updated

UK/ˈsnəʊ drɪft/
US/ˈsnoʊ drɪft/

Meaning

  1. nouncountable

    A deep heap of snow formed by the wind, often against a wall or fence.

    Grammar: Countable: a snow drift; several snow drifts.

    Patterns

    • a snow drift against something
    • stuck in a snow drift

    The car was stuck in a snow drift beside the road.

    Wind piled a snow drift against the barn door.

    Children jumped into the snow drift behind the school.

Word forms

pluralsnow drifts

Common combinations

deep snow drift
A deep snow drift covered the gate.
stuck in a snow drift
We got stuck in a snow drift.
dig through a snow drift
They dug through a snow drift to reach the car.
snow drift against
A snow drift against the door kept it from opening.
melt a snow drift
The warm sun melted the snow drift.

Synonyms and how they differ

snowbank
A snowbank is a heap of snow, often pushed by a plow, whereas a snow drift is shaped by wind.
snowdrift
The same word written without a space.
snowpack
Snowpack is the layer of snow built up over a season.
heap
A heap is any pile, not only snow.

Word family

snow noun
frozen water falling from the sky
drift verb
to be moved slowly by wind or water
drift noun
a heap blown by wind
snowdrop noun
a small white flower

Commonly confused: snow drift or snowdrop?

snow drift vs snowdrop

A snowdrop is a flower, not a pile of snow.

Practice

The wind piled up a huge ___ against the garage door overnight.

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