névé

[ ney-vey ]

Phonetic (Standard)IPA

noun

granular snow accumulated on high mountains and subsequently compacted into glacial ice.
a field of such snow.

névé

/ ˈnɛveɪ /

noun

Also calledfirn a mass of porous ice, formed from snow, that has not yet become frozen into glacier ice
a snowfield at the head of a glacier that becomes transformed into ice

névé

/ nā-vā′ /

The upper part of a glacier, consisting of hardened snow.
The granular snow typically found in such a field.

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Word History and Origins

Origin of névé¹

1850–55; < Franco-Provençal < Vulgar Latin *nivātum, noun use of neuter of Latin nivātus snow-cooled, equivalent to niv- (stem of nix snow ) + -ātus -ate ¹

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Word History and Origins

Origin of névé¹

C19: from Swiss French névé glacier, from Late Latin nivātus snow-cooled, from nix snow

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Example Sentences

In a glacial district this snow mass above the melting line is called the névé.

From Project Gutenberg

In an ordinary Alpine region the névé districts, where the snow gathers, are relatively small.

From Project Gutenberg

Beneath the surface of the névé field and at its outlet the granular névé has been compacted to a mass of porous crystalline ice.

From Project Gutenberg

In its slow movement the névé field broadly scours its bed to a flat or basined floor.

From Project Gutenberg

From the light airy flake, it becomes, in masses, what the geologists term névé.

From Project Gutenberg

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