Snowflake of ice. At that stage, the snowflake has the shape of a minute hexagon. The six "arms" of the snowflake, or dendrites, then grow independently from each of the corners of the hexagon, while either side of each arm grows independently. The microenvironment in which the snowflake grows changes dynamically as the snowflake falls through the cloud and tiny changes in temperature and humidity affect the way in which water molecules attach to the snowflake. Since the micro-environment (and its changes) are very nearly identical around the snowflake, each arm tends to grow in nearly the same way. However, being
Snowflake (slang) to refer to those who opposed the abolition of slavery. The term referred to the color of snow, referring to valuing white people over black people. This usage was not believed to have extended beyond the state of Missouri in the 1800s. In the 1970s, according to "Green's Dictionary of Slang", snowflake has been used to describe "a white person or a black person who was perceived as acting too much like a white person". In December 2016, the term snowflake was referenced in the ABC sitcom "Last Man Standing", in an episode titled "Precious Snowflake" about microaggressions and politically