v. ? Obs. Forms: 1 sniwan (sniu-, sniuw-), 3–4 snywe(n, 3 sniuw-, 4 sneuw-, 4–6 snewe. [OE. sníwan, = WFris. snije (sneie, snīe), NFris. snī, sneie, snaie, MDu. sniwen, snien, MLG. snîghen, snygen, OHG. snîwan (MHG. snîwen, snîgen, snîen, G. schneien, dial. schneuen, schneiben, etc.):—*sniʓwan-, related by ablaut to SNOW sb.1
The evidence for survival in mod. dial. is very slight; it is doubtful whether snew, to swarm, is the same word.]
1. intr. To snow.
c. 725. Corpus Gloss. (Hessels), N 117. Ninguit, sniuwið.
c. 900. trans. Bæda’s Hist., II. xiii. [If] hit rine & sniwe & styrme ute.
a. 1000. Epist. Alex., in Cockayne, Narrat. Angl. (1861), 23. Ða cwom þær micel snaw and swa miclum sniwde swelce micel flys feoll.
a. 1250. Owl & Night., 620. His hou [= hue] neuer ne uorlost, Wan hit sniuw [v.r. snywe] ne wan hit frost.
13[?]. K. Alis., 6450 (W.). Whan hit snywith [Laud MS. snoweþ], other rayneth.
a. 1325. Orfeo, 245. Þei it comenci to snewe and frese.
a. 1400. Launfal, 293. Sche was as whyt as … snow that sneweth yn wynterys day.
1530. Palsgr., 130. Il neige, it sneweth.
1746. Exmoor Scolding (E. D. S.), 124. Whan [it] snewth, or blunketh, or doveth, or in scatty Weather.
fig. c. 1386. Chaucer, Prol., 347. It snewed in his hous of mele and drynke.
2. trans. To sprinkle like snow.
c. 1440. Pallad. on Husb., XI. 332. On kadis thre Of wyn a certeyn of this flouris snewe.
Hence † Snewed ppl. a.; † Snewing vbl. sb.
1300–1400. R. Gloucester’s Chron. (Rolls), App. xx. 248. Temese was þo ifrore harde … & was swiþe whit aboue of þe snywede snou.
c. 1400. Laud Troy-Bk., 7318. The wynd sesid the gret blast, The snewyng then no lenger last.
Snew, obs. or dial. pa. t. of SNOW v.
