snowflake

noun

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.””

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.”

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

   “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.”

   “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."”

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.”

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

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

7. Something that is unique in every presentation.

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

8. (derogatory, slang, usually)A Caucasian person.

   “Alright, snowflake, where's the dope?”

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

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.