Meanings
snowcat1
snowcat2
plural snowcats
- A visual representation of a cat made from snow.
Katy rolled snowballs and tried to make a snowcat instead of a snowman.
1991, Dandi Daley Mackall, An Ali Cat Christmas, Standard Publishing, →ISBN4 more examples
One student responds “Snowman.” The teacher says “Yes.” Looking down at the picture, she orally says “Oh” and signs “Excuse me.” She points to the picture of the snowman’s ears and whiskers and signs: “Snowcat, I am mistaken. Look at the cat’s ears and whiskers.” She shows the picture around and signs “It’s a snowcat!”
1989, Susan A. Mather, “II. Language Policy”, “8. Visually Oriented Teaching Strategies with Deaf Preschool Children”, in Ceil Lucas, editor, The Sociolinguistics of the Deaf Community, Academic Press, →ISBN, “Adapting Signs to the Specific Actions Depicted in Pictures”, page 184Kathryn Naylor’s beautiful illustrations add a magic element that makes even an earless snowcat believable for young readers.
1996, Steve Pitt, quotee, Canadian Book Review Annual, volume 22, Peter Martin Associates, →ISBN, page 440“I know. Instead of making a snowman or a snowlady, let’s make a snowcat,” I said.
1998, Ann M. Martin, “1. It’s Snowing!”, in Karen’s Snow Princess (Baby-Sitters Little Sister #94), Scholastic, →ISBN‘A snowcat? Like a thing you ride on, on mountains and stuff?’ Elmo asked, sounding excited. ‘Is it, like, a kit?’ / ‘No, sorry, El. It was an actual cat, made of snow. Sean’s cat. Snowman style. I hope it’s still there in the morning. I don’t know how high up the beach the tide will go.’
2014, Judy Astley, It Must Have Been the Mistletoe, Bantam Press, →ISBN
Origin
snowcat · noun
Perhaps from the brand name Sno-Cat, probably from snow + caterpillar track.
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Bulgarian ратрак
- ратрак (ratrak)vehicle
Czech sněžná rolba
- sněžná rolbavehicle
Esperanto neĝa traktoro
- neĝa traktorovehicle
French chenillette
- chenillettevehicle
German Pistenraupe, Pistengerät
- Pistenraupevehicle
- Pistengerätvehicle
Indonesian truk salju
- truk saljuvehicle
Italian gatto delle nevi
- gatto delle nevivehicle
Japanese 雪上車
- 雪上車 (setsujōshi)vehicle
Norwegian Bokmål tråkkemaskin
- tråkkemaskinvehicle
Polish ratrak
- ratrakvehicle
Portuguese niveladora de neve
- niveladora de nevevehicle
Russian ратра́к
- ратра́к (ratrák)vehicle
Swedish pistmaskin, vessla
- pistmaskinvehicle
- vesslavehicle
- snövesslavehicle
Rhymes & wordplay
Anagrams
Cite this entry
snowcat. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/snowcat
“snowcat.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/snowcat. Accessed November 2, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “snowcat,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/snowcat.
Source: snowcat on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.