A snowman is a figure built from snow, usually made by stacking large balls of snow on top of each other. The classic snowman has three sections: a big snowball for the body, a medium one for the chest, and a smaller one for the head. People typically add a carrot for the nose, coal or stones for eyes and buttons, sticks for arms, and often a hat and scarf to complete the look.

Building a snowman is one of winter's simplest pleasures. After a heavy snowfall, when the snow is wet and sticky (not too powdery or icy), it packs together perfectly for rolling into those big spheres. You start with a small snowball and roll it across the yard, watching it grow bigger and bigger as it picks up more snow, like a vacuum cleaner rolling across a carpet.

The word can also describe a person bundled up in so many winter clothes that they look round and puffy, waddling around like a snowman. And in some places, people build snowwomen or snow figures of all kinds, though the traditional three-ball snowman remains a popular design, recognized around the world as a symbol of winter fun.