The word comes from Middle Dutch snêe, which originated from Old Dutch snēo, and further traces back to Proto-West Germanic snaiw and Proto-Germanic snaiwaz.
In earlier Modern Dutch, the dominant form was snee (similar to the German word Schnee). The form sneeuw, which preserves the Middle Dutch inflected stem, was influenced by the verb sneeuwen ("to snow"). The meaning "cocaine," first recorded in 1934, is a semantic loan from the English word "snow."
Noun: sneeuw (feminine, uncountable)
1. Snow (frozen precipitation)
Kinderen zijn dol op spelen in de sneeuw tijdens de winter.
Children love playing in the snow during winter.
Er ligt een dikke laag sneeuw op de straten na de hevige sneeuwval.
There is a thick layer of snow on the streets after heavy snowfall.
2. Snow, static, noise (on a display screen)
Het televisiesignaal is niet goed; ik zie alleen maar sneeuw op het scherm.
The TV signal is not good; I only see static on the screen.
De oude monitor vertoont veel sneeuw en storing.
The old monitor shows a lot of static and interference.
It is well-known that some partygoers use cocaine at such events. Possession and use of cocaine are illegal in most countries.
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