Snowline

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. The elevation on a mountain or mountain range below which snow does not persist year-round
2. The altitude marking the lowest point where snow remains continuously throughout the year on high terrain
3. The boundary line on a slope separating permanently snow-covered peaks above from snow-free regions below

Etymology: The snowline is a compound of "snow" and "line," so its history is largely the history of its two parts joined together. "Snow" descends from Old English "snāw," which has cognates across the Germanic languages, while "line" came into English from Latin "linea," a thread or cord, through Old French. Put together, the term describes a boundary drawn across a landscape at the height above which snow lies year-round. The compound is transparent, and its sense follows directly from its parts: a line marking where snow persists on mountains or in polar regions. Because the altitude of this boundary shifts with latitude, climate and season, the term works as a simple measure of where cold conditions begin on a slope. The spelling appears both as one word and as two, with "snow line" being the open form.

Synonyms: snow line, firn line