n. 1. The upper part of a glacier where the snow turns into ice. 2. a. A snow field at the head of a glacier. b. The granular snow typically found in such a field. [French, from French dialectal névi, from Vulgar Latin *nivātum, from neuter of Latin nivātus, cooled by snow, from nix, niv-, snow; see sneigwh- in the Appendix of Indo-European roots.] |
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