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View synonyms for snowball

snowball

[ snoh-bawl ]

noun

  1. a ball of snow pressed or rolled together, as for throwing.
  2. any of several shrubs belonging to the genus Viburnum, of the honeysuckle family, having large clusters of white, sterile flowers.
  3. a confection of crushed ice, usually in the shape of a ball, which is flavored with fruit or other syrup and served in a paper cup.
  4. a scoop or ball of ice cream covered with shredded coconut and usually chocolate sauce.


verb (used with object)

  1. to throw snowballs at.
  2. to cause to grow or become larger, greater, more intense, etc., at an accelerating rate:

    to snowball a small business into a great enterprise.

verb (used without object)

  1. to grow or become larger, greater, more intense, etc., at an accelerating rate.

snowball

/ ˈsnəʊˌbɔːl /

noun

  1. snow pressed into a ball for throwing, as in play
  2. a drink made of advocaat and lemonade
  3. slang.
    a mixture of heroin and cocaine
  4. a dance started by one couple who separate and choose different partners. The process continues until all present are dancing
“Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged” 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012


verb

  1. intr to increase rapidly in size, importance, etc

    their woes have snowballed since last year

  2. tr to throw snowballs at
“Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged” 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
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Word History and Origins

Origin of snowball1

1350–1400; Middle English (noun); snow, ball 1
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Example Sentences

From there, it just kept on growing and growing and growing, and $500 turned into a thousand, and then a thousand turned into 5,000, and it was sort of this snowball effect now for the past eight years.

From Ozy

In autumn, children might play in leaves again, then gather for snowball fights in winter.

My therapist helped me to see and celebrate the snowball effect of every step, no matter how small.

The resulting particles, known as soot, land on spinning ceramic rods, accumulating like a snowball.

The risk is that it could drive it in a negative way and add on like a snowball rolling downhill to this selloff.

From Fortune

All of these increased barriers then have a snowball effect.

Meanwhile, national attention has already started to snowball around the issue.

When Chappelle approached them, one of the kids threw a snowball at his face and called him the N-word.

“I am afraid we will see a snowball effect in other countries,” said Westeson.

As frustration mounts within the Scouting world, a negative PR snowball builds.

When you were only a little snowball, we had to hang you up to dry, and that pulled your ears out.

"I remember one year we had a great snowball fight at West Point," went on the captain.

Away went the big snowball, down the long hill, and the cadets after it.

When Peleg Snuggers arrived at the top of the hill the big snowball was ready for use.

"We want to fasten this cord in the hole through that big snowball, but we don't want to get it crossed," went on Tom, anxiously.

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