A snowflake is a delicate, intricate piece of ice that falls from the sky during winter.
Snowflakes are often used as a way to describe something unique and fleeting. For example, if someone has a special talent or skill that's hard to find elsewhere, you might say they're a "snowflake" - one-of-a-kind. People also talk about snowflakes when they're trying to capture a moment in time, like the first snowfall of the season, which is just as beautiful and temporary as a single snowflake. Sometimes, people use the term to describe someone who doesn't fit into a particular group or category - they're like an odd-shaped snowflake that stands out from the crowd.
How common is "snowflake"?
Word snowflake is considered rare in modern English. It appears most frequently in fiction texts and less often in other writings.
Definitions
noun
A crystal of snow, having approximate hexagonal symmetry.
Any of several bulbous European plants, of the genus Leucojum, having white flowers.
The snow bunting, Plectrophenax nivalis.
Someone who believes they are as unique and special as a snowflake.
Someone hypersensitive to insult or offense, especially a young person with politically correct sensibilities.
Someone (usually white) who was opposed to the abolition of slavery (Missouri, 1860s)
A type of lesion that appears as scattered white-brown spots under high magnification light microscopy.