snowflake
noun
snow·flake
ˈsnō-ˌflāk 
1
: a flake or crystal of snow
2
: any of two genera (Leucojum or Acis) of Old World bulbous plants of the amaryllis family
especially
: one (L. vernum) resembling the snowdrop
3
informal + usually disparaging
a
: someone regarded or treated as unique or special
… proclaim that parents need a way for their precious snowflakes to escape failing schools.—
Harold Cook
Baseball, like no other sport, has stats that make a special snowflake out of every player.—Ben Rowen
b
: someone who is overly sensitive
One side derides the youth driving the movement as snowflakes and social justice warriors, too sensitive and too politically correct.—Vanessa McCray
We are not delicate creatures. We are not snowflakes.—Rosie DiManno
Examples of snowflake in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
When the temperature drops below 32 degrees and a glowing snowflake on the dashboard warns of icy roads, my car practically drives itself to Lighthouse Tofu in Annandale.
—Elazar Sontag, Washington Post, 10 Jan. 2026
Wind and rain contrasted by sunshine and snowflakes all in the same day have become a new norm.
—Philip Potempa, Chicago Tribune, 9 Jan. 2026
In the clip, employees dressed in bright orange and yellow jackets can be seen playing in the snow as snowflakes fall from the sky onto the already thick layer on the ground.
—Natalia Senanayake, PEOPLE, 8 Jan. 2026
The ice formations begin to form when frazil (ice crystals) anchor to something floating on the water's surface, such as dust, algae, a grain of sand or even a snowflake, which is called the ice nuclei.
—Sarah Moore, Freep.com, 8 Jan. 2026
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Cite this Entry
“Snowflake.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/snowflake. Accessed 20 Jan. 2026.
Kids Definition
snowflake
noun
snow·flake
ˈsnō-ˌflāk
: a flake or crystal of snow
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