snowplow
UK[ˈsnəʊplaʊ]US[ˈsnoʊplaʊ]
n
A vehicle or device used for pushing snow off roads, railways, or runways.
v
To clear snow using a snowplow.
Morpheme Breakdown
snow
plow
snow
frozen precipitation.
plow
a tool for tilling soil.
Etymology
The word "snowplow" is a transparent compound formed from two native English elements. "Snow" descends from the Proto-Germanic snaiwaz, a term for the specific type of frozen precipitation. "Plow" (also spelled plough) originates from Proto-Germanic plōgaz, referring to an agricultural implement for cutting and turning the earth. The compound's logic is directly metaphorical: it applies the core action of a plow—cutting through and pushing aside material—from the domain of earth to the domain of snow. This functional shift created a highly descriptive term for a machine that clears pathways by pushing accumulated snow aside, mirroring the action of its agricultural namesake.
Analysis
Structure: snow + plow
snow: From Old English snāw, meaning "frozen precipitation." Functional role: The object or material being acted upon.
plow: From Old English plōg, meaning "a tool for tilling soil." Functional role: The instrument or action of clearing/moving.
Examples
The city sent out a fleet of snowplows after the blizzard.
We had to snowplow the driveway before we could leave for work.
The front of the locomotive was fitted with a heavy-duty snowplow.