snowbird
noun
Did you know?
Snowbird has been in use since the late 1600s, but it has only been applied to humans since the early 1900s. It was first used to describe men who enlisted in the armed forces to get food and clothing during the winter months and then deserted as the warm spring weather approached. Not long after, the term was applied to the northern laborers who would flock down south to work as the cold, harsh winter set in up north. Today, northerners of all kinds, from vacationers to retirees, can be seen migrating as soon as the first frost arrives.
Examples of snowbird in a Sentence
Burkhard Bilger, New Yorker, 28 July 2025
Since many local restaurants scale back hours or shut down entirely once the snowbirds leave, Spammy Jammy has become Goodland’s unofficial last hurrah.
—Alexandra Emanuelli, Southern Living, 31 May 2025
Can snowbirds benefit from the Wisconsin retirement exemption?
—Hope Karnopp, jsonline.com, 23 July 2025
The pace of life in Austin slows over the summer months as snowbirds flee north and triple-digit temperatures spook would-be tourists.
—Matthew Odam, Austin American Statesman, 7 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for snowbird
Cite this Entry
“Snowbird.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/snowbird. Accessed 4 Sep. 2025.
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snowbird
noun
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