nieve

What is the opposite of nieve? Here is what we hold, with its meaning and related words.

Noun — Snow; the ordinary Spanish word, met in English chiefly in place names, menus and Spanish phrases.

We haven't recorded synonyms for nieve yet. You can still read its full definition, where it comes from, or words that rhyme with it.

How to use nieve

The word patterns that sound natural to a native speaker.

nieve de limón Sierra Nevada nieve de garrafa

Italicise it as a Spanish word in English prose. If you meant "innocent", the word you want is naive or naïve.

Etymology

Spanish nieve descends from Latin nix, accusative nivem, "snow", the same root behind English niveous and Spanish nevada.

Full origin of nieve →

Frequently asked questions

Is nieve an English word?

Not really. It appears in English text either as a borrowed Spanish word for snow, usually inside a place name or a food term, or as a misspelling of naive. Standard English dictionaries do not list it as an English headword.

What is the difference between nieve and naive?

They are unrelated. Naive, from French, describes someone who is innocent or too trusting; nieve is Spanish for snow. The two get confused because naive sounds like "nye-EEV" and people reach for the wrong vowel order when spelling it.

What does nieve mean on a Mexican menu?

It means a frozen dessert — usually a water-based sorbet or a simple ice cream, sold from a nevería. Nieve de garrafa is the traditional hand-churned version.

Nearby words

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