Snowbird is a noun describing a person who travels to warm climates for the winter. It originally referred to soldiers who deserted in spring or northern laborers who migrated south in winter.
Snowbird es un sustantivo que describe a una persona que viaja a climas cálidos durante el invierno. Originalmente se refería a los soldados que desertaban en primavera o a los trabajadores del norte que se trasladaban al sur en invierno.
| Word | snowbird |
|---|---|
| Date | November 30, 2007 |
| Type | noun |
| Syllables | SNOH-berd |
| Etymology | "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. *Indicates the sense illustrated in the example sentence. |
| Examples | Now that they are retired, the Crawfords have become snowbirds, closing up their New England home each winter and heading south. |
| Definition | 1 : any of several birds (as a junco or fieldfare) seen chiefly in winter 2 : one who travels to warm climes for the winter |
Tags: wordoftheday::noun
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