snowbound

English

Etymology

Etymology tree

Proto-Indo-European *sneygʷʰ-

Proto-Indo-European *-os

Proto-Indo-European *snóygʷʰos

Proto-Germanic *snaiwaz

Proto-West Germanic *snaiw

Old English snāw

Middle English snow

English snow

Proto-Indo-European *bʰuH-

Proto-Germanic *būaną

Old Norse búinnbor.

Middle English bownde

English bound

English -bound

English snowbound

From snow + -bound.

Pronunciation

• (General American) IPA^(key): /ˈsnoʊˌbaʊnd/

• Audio (US):

  (file)

Adjective

snowbound (not comparable)

1. Prevented from moving or traveling due to snow or snowy weather.
   • 1960 January, M. Harbottle, “Maintaining Services after Heavy Snowfalls”, in Railway Magazine, page 12:

     When a passenger or freight train is snowbound, any train crew or passengers must first be rescued and taken to the nearest station. This task is usually done by local trackmen.

2. Of a location or other destination, inaccessible due to being covered in snow.

   Synonyms: snowed in, snow-stayed, storm-stayed