blizzard

noun

bliz·​zard ˈbli-zərd How to pronounce blizzard (audio)
1
: a long severe snowstorm
2
: an intensely strong cold wind filled with fine snow
3
: an overwhelming rush or deluge
a blizzard of mail around the holidays
blizzardy adjective
or less commonly blizzardly

Did you know?

The earliest recorded appearance of the word blizzard meaning “a severe snowstorm” was in the April 23, 1870 issue of a newspaper published in Estherville, Iowa. Blizzard shows up again during the following years in several newspapers in Iowa and neighboring states, and by 1888, when a snowstorm paralyzed the Eastern seaboard, the word was well-known nationally. However, in other senses, the word blizzard existed earlier. Davy Crockett, for instance, used it twice in the 1830s, once to mean a rifle blast and once to mean for a blast of words. All of these uses seem related, but the ultimate origin of the word is still unclear.

Examples of blizzard in a Sentence

We were snowed in by a raging blizzard.
Recent Examples on the Web Amid this blizzard of minutiae, Mousery occasionally loses sight of a question that should be central to any biography: Why does Calhoun matter today? Ben Goldfarb, Scientific American, 17 Sep. 2024 Stranded by a blizzard at the Halifax airport, two friends eat their way through the delay. J.r. Patterson, Condé Nast Traveler, 28 June 2024 More:When Germany's leader came to town — and stood up Milwaukee's biggest German institutions Hillary Clinton gets snowed in On a trip for her presidential campaign in 2008, Hillary Clinton was stuck in Milwaukee during a blizzard. Jessica Rodriguez, Journal Sentinel, 18 July 2024 In the event of a hurricane, tornado, blizzard, or similar, NOAA’s severe weather alerts appear on the radio and television, or on your phone. Wes Siler, Outside Online, 15 July 2024 See all Example Sentences for blizzard 

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'blizzard.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

origin unknown

First Known Use

1870, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of blizzard was in 1870

Dictionary Entries Near blizzard

Cite this Entry

“Blizzard.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/blizzard. Accessed 11 Oct. 2024.

Kids Definition

blizzard

noun
bliz·​zard ˈbliz-ərd How to pronounce blizzard (audio)
1
: a long heavy snowstorm
2
: a very strong cold wind filled with fine snow
3
: an overwhelming rush or deluge
a blizzard of mail
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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