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snow·ball

(snōbôl′)

1. A mass of soft, wet snow packed into a ball that can be thrown, as in play.

2. Any of several plants having rounded clusters of white flowers, especially certain cultivated viburnums.

3. Chiefly Southern US A snow cone.

v. snow·balled, snow·ball·ing, snow·balls

v.intr.

1. To grow rapidly in significance, importance, or size: problems that snowballed by the hour.

2. To throw snowballs.

v.tr.

1. To cause to grow or increase rapidly.

2. To throw snowballs at.

Indo-European & Semitic Roots Appendices

Thousands of entries in the dictionary include etymologies that trace their origins back to reconstructed proto-languages. You can obtain more information about these forms in our online appendices:

Indo-European Roots

Semitic Roots

The Indo-European appendix covers nearly half of the Indo-European roots that have left their mark on English words. A more complete treatment of Indo-European roots and the English words derived from them is available in our Dictionary of Indo-European Roots.

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