subniveanadj.
/sʌbˈnɪvɪən/, U.S. /səbˈnɪviən/ Existing, living, or carried out underneath snow.
ΘΚΠ
the world > the earth > weather and the atmosphere > weather > precipitation or atmospheric moisture > snow > [adjective] > under the snow
subnivean1845
subnival1862
subniveal1885
1845 S. Judd Margaret i. xvii. 166 He..commenced with a shovel his subnivean work.
1864–5 J. G. Wood Homes without Hands i. 38 The sheep..do not voluntarily burrow into the snow. They are not intended to pass a large portion of their lives in a subnivean abode.
1937 Ecology 18 256 In central New York the writer has seen indications of subnivean activity on the part of deer mice during daylight hours.
1984 Jrnl. Wildlife Managem. 48 140 Martens..used tree trunks and other objects for access to the subnivean zone.
2008 Nature 6 Nov. 43/2 This subnivean space provides warmth and allows lemmings to feed in relative safety from many of the animals that eat them.
This entry has been updated (OED Third Edition, June 2012; most recently modified version published online March 2022).
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adj.1845