Word of the Day

: November 30, 2007

snowbird

noun SNOH-berd

What It Means

1 : any of several birds (as a junco or fieldfare) seen chiefly in winter

2 : one who travels to warm climes for the winter

snowbird in Context

Now that they are retired, the Crawfords have become snowbirds, closing up their New England home each winter and heading south.

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.

*Indicates the sense illustrated in the example sentence.