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Glite Dictionary
snow goose

snow goose

1 2.8
A white goose with black wing tips found in North America
  • noun
  • /snoʊ ɡuːs/
  • US
translation icon : ganso de nieve
  • Judith wakes on the riverbank, listening to the spring sounds of geese heading back north—snow geese, Arctic geese.
  • a flock of snow geese
  • thousands of snow geese
  • hunt snow geese

But to the humans, the pit and it's snow geese might help us.

Examples

  • During the autumn migration, we often spot snow geese flying overhead in large formations.

  • In the wetlands, snow geese gather in vast numbers, creating a stunning display for birdwatchers.

  • One cold March day, I visited Middle Creek to see the snow geese.

    Blog text (31)

  • A woman was holding two snow geese by their necks.

    Fiction book (1991)

  • Maybe a hundred snow geese sat in the middle of Larson's field, making their mournful music.

    Fiction book (1995)

  • "You've been watching the snow geese for four days now," Red Flint remarked, coming up behind him.

    Fiction book (1990)

  • Overhead, flights of snow geese, ducks, and chattering ravens passed in a whir of wings.

    Fiction book (1990)

  • There are ten bird sanctuaries as well, which harbor more than two hundred species, including cranes, snow geese, eagles, falcons, and hordes of seabirds.

    Academic text (1991)

  • Explaining the logistics of a trip to Bosque del Apache in New Mexico, Steve will illustrate how to maximize your photo opportunities of the sandhill cranes, snow geese, and other inhabitants of the area.

    Academic text (2005)

  • A flock of snow geese took off from the lake, their white bodies contrasting against the blue sky.

Synonyms

goose
vssnow goose
34 1.0

A large water bird with webbed feet and a long neck that often flies south in groups in autumn

is a specific North American species with white plumage and black wingtips
Chen caerulescens
vssnow goose
  • Specialized
9.9

A North American wild goose that is dark in summer and white in winter

describes the bird by its white body and black wingtips

Surface Forms

snow goose singular
snow geese plural

Morphology

snow + goose

The meaning 'a goose with white plumage' is transparently built from 'snow' (white/frozen) + 'goose' (waterbird); the first element functions as an attributive modifier indicating color/association. This straightforward noun–noun compounding is a common and predictable pattern in English and other languages, so a B1 learner who knows both constituents would readily infer the meaning.

Etymology

The name snow goose comes from the bird's bright white feathers that look like snow, so people called the white bird a snow goose. That's why the name means 'a goose with white feathers'.