snow flake

Noun

snowflake (plural snowflakes)

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. (derogatory, slang) Someone 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. (derogatory, slang) Someone 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

   Synonyms:

   special snowflake

6. 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.2007, Kenneth W. Wright, Peter H. Spiegel, Lisa Thompson, Handbook of Pediatric Retinal Disease, →ISBN, page 195

See all 11 meanings of snowflake