A snowplow is a large vehicle with a heavy blade mounted on the front, designed to push snow off roads and clear paths after winter storms. When snow piles up overnight, snowplows rumble through neighborhoods and highways early in the morning, their blades scraping and shoving the white drifts to the roadside so cars can get through safely.

The plow blade angles to one side, which means the snow gets pushed off to the shoulder of the road rather than straight ahead. Snowplow drivers often work through the night during heavy snowstorms, sometimes making multiple passes down the same street as fresh snow keeps falling. Many snowplows also spread salt or sand to melt ice and improve traction.

The word has also developed a modern meaning in parenting. Snowplow parents try to clear every obstacle from their child's path, just like a snowplow clears snow from a road. These parents might call teachers to argue about grades, solve every problem for their kids, or remove any difficulty before their children even know it exists. While their intentions come from love, this approach can prevent kids from learning to handle challenges themselves.