snowball

Meaning

Noun

1. A ball of snow, usually one made in the hand and thrown for amusement in a snowball fight; also a larger ball of snow made by rolling a snowball around in snow that sticks to it and increases its diameter.
2. A cocktail made from lemonade and advocaat.
3. (figuratively) Something that snowballs (grows rapidly out of control).
4. A sex act involving passing ejaculated semen from one person's mouth to another's.
5. (US) A type of ice dessert: a snow cone.
6. A small cake, typically cream-filled and covered in chocolate icing and desiccated coconut.

Adj

Of something with rapid growth, often uncontrolled. Compare snowball effect.

Verb

1. (intransitive) To rapidly grow out of proportion or control, from an initially smaller state.
2. (intransitive) To play at throwing snowballs.
3. (transitive) To pelt with snowballs; to throw snowballs at.
4. (intransitive, slang, vulgar) To receive ejaculated semen in one's mouth, and to then pass it back and forth between one’s mouth and another person’s mouth.

Synonyms

lump

clod

Abronia elliptica

sweet sand verbena

guelder rose

mushroom

🍄

puff

spread out

swell

swell up

tumesce

balloon

🎈

snow globe

bloat

crescendo

distend

Translations

Schneeball

boule de neige

sneeuwbal

palla di neve

χιονόμπαλα

bola de nieve

boule

Klumpen

grumo

palla

bola de neu

zolla

Pronounced as (IPA)

/ˈsnəʊbɔːl/

Etymology

Cognate with Scots: snawbaw

Cognate with German: Schneeball

Cognate with Luxembourgish: Schnéiball

Cognate with Dutch: sneeuwbal

Cognate with Afrikaans: sneeubal

Cognate with Limburgish: snieëbal

Cognate with Western Frisian: sniebal

Cognate with Saterland Frisian: Sneebaal

Cognate with Swedish: snöboll

Cognate with Elfdalian: sniųoboll

Cognate with Danish: snebold

Cognate with Norwegian Bokmål: snøball

Cognate with Norwegian Nynorsk: snøball

Cognate with Icelandic: snjóbolti

In summary

From Middle English snoweball, snoweballe, snaweballe, snayballe, equivalent to snow + ball. Cognate with Scots snawbaw, German Schneeball, Luxembourgish Schnéiball, Dutch sneeuwbal, Afrikaans sneeubal, Limburgish snieëbal, West Frisian sniebal, Saterland Frisian Sneebaal, Sneebal, Swedish snöboll, Elfdalian sniųoboll, Danish snebold, Norwegian Bokmål snøball, Norwegian Nynorsk snøball and Icelandic snjóbolti.