snowflake

plural snowflakes · alternative snow flake · alternative snow-flake · alternative ❄

1. A crystal of snow, having approximate hexagonal symmetry.
2. Any of several bulbous European plants, of the genus Leucojum, having white flowers.
3. The snow bunting, Plectrophenax nivalis.
4. derogatoryslangSomeone who believes they are particularly unique and special.

   When I come home, one space monkey is reading to the assembled space monkeys who sit covering the whole first floor. “You are not a beautiful and unique snowflake. You are the same decaying organic matter as everyone else, and we are all part of the same compost pile.”

   1996, Chuck Palahniuk, Fight Club, published 2005, →ISBN, page 134

5. derogatoryslangSomeone hypersensitive to insult or offense, especially a young person with politically correct sensibilities.

   When have words ever hurt anyone? The triggered snowflakes at this liberal university are trying to literally murder our freedom of speech.

   2017, Dylan Kyle, quoted in "Campus Voices", The Mugdown (Texas A&M University), August 2017, page 15

   3 more examples

   Fox News pundits claim to be upset because companies are choosing to embrace the "holidays" rather than "Christmas" to avoid offending any liberal snowflakes.

   2017, Ben Brill, "What's wrong with saying 'Happy holidays' this December", High Tide (Redondo Union High School), 20 October 2017, page 7

   Now, at least in theory, snowflakes on both coasts in withdrawal from Rachel Maddow’s nightly Kremlinology lesson can purchase a whole book to inspire paroxysms of rage. “White” — even the title is a trigger — is a veritable thirst trap for the easily microaggressed.

   2019 April 17, Bari Weiss, “Bret Easton Ellis Takes On ‘Generation Wuss’”, in The New York Times, →ISSN

   Within a few minutes of stepping foot on the school grounds, a triggered snowflake called the police. Multiple officers accosted Kevin McMahon, a YAF staffer, and threatened to arrest him for exercising his free speech rights since he was outside the designated "free speech area."

   2020 January 31, Erin McLaughlin, “Free speech cowed at GMU”, in The Collegian, Grove City College, page 8

   Synonyms: special snowflake

6. medicineA type of lesion that appears as scattered white-brown spots under high magnification light microscopy.

   The authors have recently analyzed a PMMA lens explanted because of snowflake degeneration in the dry and hydrated states.

   2010, Roger F. Steinert, Cataract Surgery, →ISBN, page 525

   2 more examples

   Robertson and colleagues reported 10 patients in four families with lesions similar to those of stage I and stage II snowflake generation.

   2007, Kenneth W. Wright, Peter H. Spiegel, Lisa Thompson, Handbook of Pediatric Retinal Disease, →ISBN, page 195

   These defects may be more pronounced in the superior visual field, perhaps corresponding to the inferior predilection for the snowflake lesions.

   2011, Elias I. Traboulsi, Genetic Diseases of the Eye, →ISBN, page 520

7. Something that is unique in every presentation.

   MS is referred to as a “snowflake” disease because symptoms vary from person to person.

   2016 July 14, Sara Schabe, Krysten Massa, “North Fork native begins stem cell treatment to battle MS”, in Suffolk Times

8. derogatoryslangusuallyA Caucasian person.

   Alright, snowflake, where's the dope?

   2009, Michael Jai White, Byron Minns, Scott Sanders, Black Dynamite (motion picture), spoken by Black Dynamite (Michael Jai White)

9. historicalSomeone (usually white) who was opposed to the abolition of slavery (Missouri, 1860s)

present singular third person snowflakes · participle present snowflaking · participle past snowflaked · past snowflaked · alternative snow flake · alternative snow-flake · alternative ❄

1. To fall in the manner of a snowflake.

   Like a seagull swooping, the white figure of a victim snowflaked against the cliff and then plummeted down.

   1966, James Workman, The Mad Emperor, Melbourne, Sydney: Scripts, page 143

2. computingTo arrange (data) into a snowflake schema.