▪ I. snew, v. ? Obs.
Forms: 1 sniwan (sniu-, sniuw-), 3–4 snywe(n, 3 sniuw-, 4 sneuw-, 4–6 snewe.
[OE. sn{iacu}wan, = 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.):—*sniᵹwan-, related by ablaut to snow n.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 tr. Baeda'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 mete 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.; † ˈsnewing vbl. n.
| 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. |
▪ II. snew
obs. or dial. pa. tense of snow v.