snow globe

noun

: a sphere usually made of glass containing a miniature scene and flakes suspended in a clear liquid that give the appearance of snow falling onto the scene when the sphere is shaken
At the gift shop around the corner, you can buy giant panda oven mitts, hand towels, snow globes, decorative plates and change purses, among many other items.—David Rowell

Examples of snow globe in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
The flagship has set up a holiday market with an assortment of holiday decor, gifts, epicure, snow globes and items sourced from around the world. — David Moin, Footwear News, 13 Oct. 2026 But does the holographic nature of the snow globe tell us anything about our reality? — Quanta Magazine, 25 Sep. 2026 All the vehicles are winter-themed, and one is even an exclusive snow globe car, complete with its own Yeti driver. — Chaunie Brusie, Parents, 17 Sep. 2026 Imagine a 350-foot-tall orb that can be transformed into virtually anything, from a harvest moon rising over the Strip to a giant snow globe to a tank of undulating jellyfish. — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 15 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for snow globe

Word History

First Known Use

1926, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of snow globe was in 1926

Rhymes for snow globe

See All Rhymes for snow globe

Browse Nearby Words

snow fly
snow globe
snow gnat
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Snow globe.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/snow%20globe. Accessed 20 Oct. 2026.

Copy Citation
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of compunction

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

The Exceptions of '-s' and '-es' Plurals

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

16 Food Words Recently Added to the Dictionary

The Real Origin of 'Supercalifragilistic'

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

7 Words for Bad Endings and Rough Situations

Did 'orange' the fruit or the color come first?
See More

Popular

See More

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

16 Food Words Recently Added to the Dictionary

The Real Origin of 'Supercalifragilistic'
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
artwork of illustrated limes with the text limes and smile with an arrow connecting the two words
Quiz: Spot the Anagram! Scramble these words to find new words with the e...
See All