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

Somewhere within the murky snowfall and frost, evening is falling, and the April darkness squeezes between snowflakes that pile up on the man and the two horses. —Literary Hub, 10 Nov. 2025

Denver’s dry spell could break mid-November, but the first snowflakes remain on track to be some of the latest recorded in the city, according to the National Weather Service. —Lauren Penington, Denver Post, 6 Nov. 2025

Louisville residents could see the first snowflakes of the season this weekend as two cold fronts are expected to move through the area. —Lillian Metzmeier, Louisville Courier Journal, 5 Nov. 2025

The identical pattern of snow suggests that the snowflakes were added to the photo with editing software. —Owen Clarke, Outside, 30 Oct. 2025

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