snowbird

[ snoh-burd ]

noun

1. any of various birds that winter in a cold, snowy climate, especially the dark-eyed junco and the snow bunting.
2. 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.

3. 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.”

snowbird

/ ˈsnəʊˌbɜːd /

noun

1. another name for the snow bunting
2. slang.
   a person addicted to cocaine, or sometimes heroin

Word History and Origins

Origin of snowbird¹

First recorded in 1665–75; snow (in the sense “precipitation; snowflake”) + bird; 1910–15 snowbird fordef 3, with snow (in the sense “cocaine or heroin”)

Example Sentences

“The snowbirds have all gone home,” he said.

From Seattle Times

The couple planned to become snowbirds, spending most of the year around grandchildren in Everett, then back north to their cabin on an island in Prince William Sound, in summertime.

From Seattle Times

Trump was a New York snowbird with a second home in Palm Beach when he was first elected, but he later lost as a full-time Floridian.

From Seattle Times

Arizona’s snowbirds and families in wealthier neighborhoods can slip away for the summer, but Adriely said her parents and others in the neighborhood had to work.

From New York Times

Friends and fellow snowbirds began an in-person and virtual search that led to finding his dog and, eventually, his burned-out camper on Feb. 23.

From Los Angeles Times