snowbird
noun
Did you know?
Snowbird has been in use since the late 1600s, but it has only been applied to humans since the early 1900s. It was first used to describe men who enlisted in the armed forces to get food and clothing during the winter months and then deserted as the warm spring weather approached. Not long after, the term was applied to the northern laborers who would flock down south to work as the cold, harsh winter set in up north. Today, northerners of all kinds, from vacationers to retirees, can be seen migrating as soon as the first frost arrives.
Examples of snowbird in a Sentence
Peter Lane Taylor, Forbes.com, 30 Apr. 2025
Plus, there are thousands of snowbirds from New York and Boston who spend their winters in Florida.
—Michael Russo, The Athletic, 8 Jan. 2025
This particular snowbird, however, was an actual bird — one of the last two whooping cranes in the region and one of just five in the state.
—Natalia Jaramillo, The Orlando Sentinel, 28 Mar. 2025
Some of those newbies, as well as longtime Canadian snowbirds, are wanting out.
—Aldo Svaldi, Denver Post, 31 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for snowbird
Cite this Entry
“Snowbird.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/snowbird. Accessed 29 Jul. 2025.
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snowbird
noun
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