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

That's likely to continue Thursday, when temperatures near freezing could produce heavy, wet snowflakes, Miller said. —Hope Karnopp, jsonline.com, 8 Feb. 2026

But, as soon as the first snowflakes start to fall, your mopping frequency needs to see a major uptick. —Heather Bien, The Spruce, 6 Feb. 2026

When snowflakes began to fall, some stuck their tongues out and laughed, playfully nudging one another. —Eva Roytburg, Fortune, 4 Feb. 2026

The snowflake stitching and shimmery design add a cute touch. —Toni Sutton, PEOPLE, 1 Feb. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1734, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for snowflake

• awake
• backache
• beefsteak
• betake
• cheesecake
• cupcake
• daybreak
• earthquake
• eastlake
• forsake
• handshake
• headache

Kids Definition

snowflake

noun

snow·​flake ˈsnō-ˌflāk 

: a flake or crystal of snow