Welcome to Word of the Week! Stay tuned for a new word each Friday to amp up your nature vocabulary!
Dendrite [DEN-drahyt](noun): A crystal or crystalline mass with a branching treelike structure. This word comes from the Greek word “dendron” which means tree.
Although the definition of this word is rooted in trees, the dendrites that we are talking about are a part of snowflakes!
Dendrites are a key feature that you can look for when trying to identify and categorize snowflakes!
Snowflakes come in a variety of shapes and sizes and many believe that there are no two that are exactly alike. While that may not be true, snowflakes fall into several broad categories based on the shape of their snow crystals. By taking a close look with your magnifying glass, you can have a ton of fun trying to figure out what kind of snowflake you’re looking at!
If you’re looking to learn more about snowflakes and snowflake identification, here are some great resources:
