snowbird
noun
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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
Stacey Leasca, Travel + Leisure, 18 June 2024
With most of the snowbirds gone and many families taking summer vacations, traffic is just a bit lighter, lines shorter and reservations can be a little easier to obtain.
—Endia Fontanez, The Arizona Republic, 30 May 2024
Meeker also noted significant demand from snowbirds who want to go south with their dogs for the winter and many requests for flights in and out of Chicago.
—Rachel Treisman, NPR, 26 May 2024
Winter visitors, also known as snowbirds, begin to arrive to Puerto Peñasco in greater numbers in mid-January.
—Rafael Carranza, The Arizona Republic, 2 Jan. 2024
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These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'snowbird.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
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“Snowbird.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/snowbird. Accessed 2 Jul. 2024.
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snowbird
noun
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