What does "snowflake" mean?
A crystal of snow, having approximate hexagonal symmetry.
Snowflake
/ˈsnəʊ.fleɪk/ noun, verb, slang
noun, verb, slang ·Common ·High school level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: A crystal of snow, having approximate hexagonal symmetry.
- Grammar: snowflake is listed as noun, verb, slang.
- Nearest alternatives: avalanche, blizzard, crystal, driven snow.
- Useful contrasts: hailstone, raindrop.
- Usage evidence: No snowflake in an avalanche ever feels responsible.
How to use "snowflake"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "snowflake" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "snowflake" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "snowflake" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "snowflake" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
- Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "snowflake" is acting as noun, verb, slang in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "avalanche" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
Review note: Definition pages are checked for source coverage, sentence evidence, synonym support, and editorial insight before they are treated as approval-ready pages. If the evidence is too thin, the page remains available to users but is kept out of the approval-facing indexed inventory.
Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "snowflake", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Noun
- 1 A crystal of snow, having approximate hexagonal symmetry.
- 2 white Arctic bunting wordnet
- 3 Any of several bulbous European plants, of the genus Leucojum, having white flowers.
- 4 a crystal of snow wordnet
- 5 The snow bunting, Plectrophenax nivalis.
Show 6 more definitions
- 6 Someone who believes they are particularly unique and special. derogatory, slang
"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.”"
- 7 Someone hypersensitive to insult or offense, especially a young person with politically correct sensibilities. derogatory, slang
"When have words ever hurt anyone? The triggered snowflakes at this liberal university are trying to literally murder our freedom of speech."
- 8 A type of lesion that appears as scattered white-brown spots under high magnification light microscopy.
"Robertson and colleagues reported 10 patients in four families with lesions similar to those of stage I and stage II snowflake generation."
- 9 Something that is unique in every presentation.
"MS is referred to as a “snowflake” disease because symptoms vary from person to person."
- 10 A Caucasian person. derogatory, slang, usually
"Alright, snowflake, where's the dope?"
- 11 Someone (usually white) who was opposed to the abolition of slavery (Missouri, 1860s) historical
Verb
- 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."
- 2 To arrange (data) into a snowflake schema.
Example
"No snowflake in an avalanche ever feels responsible."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "snowflake"?
Common synonyms include: avalanche, blizzard, crystal, driven snow, flake, flake.
How do you use "snowflake" in a sentence?
No snowflake in an avalanche ever feels responsible.
How do you pronounce "snowflake"?
Pronounced /ˈsnəʊ.fleɪk/.
Etymology
From snow + flake. Compare Saterland Frisian Sneeflokke (“snowflake”), Dutch sneeuwvlok, Luxembourgish Schnéiflack, German Schneeflocke.