snowbird
Americannoun
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any of various birds that winter in a cold, snowy climate, especially the dark-eyed junco and the snow bunting.
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Informal. a person who vacations in or moves to a warmer climate during cold weather.
Since 9/11, the ease with which Canadian snowbirds cross the U.S. border has changed.
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Slang: Disparaging and Offensive. a person addicted to cocaine or heroine.
The cocaine addiction of pre-talkies film star Alma Rubens earned her the unfortunate nickname “Silent Snowbird.”
noun
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another name for the snow bunting
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slang a person addicted to cocaine, or sometimes heroin
Etymology
Origin of snowbird
First recorded in 1665–75; snow (in the sense “precipitation; snowflake”) + bird; 1910–15 snowbird for def. 3, with snow (in the sense “cocaine or heroin”)
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
More monkeys were lined up on his back like snowbirds on a fence; biting, clawing, and squealing.
From Literature
Still, so-called snowbirds are vital to the region’s economy.
From Los Angeles Times
Winter-sun states, such as Florida, Arizona and California, are facing both fewer short-stay arrivals and an emerging drop-off in Canadian “snowbirds.”
From Salon
Some of those choosing to stay home are Canadian snowbirds, retirees who travel south to states like Florida to find warmth in the winter months.
From BBC
One of the hardest hit places is the Coachella Valley, where snowbirds flock every winter, funneling millions into the local economy.
From Los Angeles Times
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
