snowman
UK[ˈsnəʊmæn]US[ˈsnoʊmæn]
n
a model of a person made out of snow, especially by children, typically formed by rolling large balls of snow and stacking them on top of each other.
Morpheme Breakdown
snow
man
snow
man
Etymology
the word "snowman" is a transparent english compound, formed from the old english nouns "snāw" (snow) and "mann" (person, human being). it follows a common germanic compounding pattern where two independent nouns are combined to create a new, specific concept. the literal meaning, "a man made of snow," directly reflects its modern usage as a figure sculpted from snow, typically for recreation. this straightforward construction highlights the descriptive and functional nature of many english compound words, where the combined elements immediately convey the object's essence.
Analysis
Structure: snow + man
snow (old english: snāw) - the substance itself, the material from which the figure is made.
man (old english: mann) - a human being; here, it denotes the shape or representation of a person.
Examples
the children spent the afternoon building a large snowman in the garden.
a classic snowman is often depicted with a carrot for a nose and lumps of coal for eyes.
after the blizzard, the yard was perfect for making a snowman.