Blizzardy Definition & Meaning

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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 The Drugs are a consistent touring draw both in North America and abroad — in January, the band notched their first Madison Square Garden appearance amid a New York blizzard. — Jonathan Cohen, Variety, 2 Aug. 2022 Carlson remembers getting released into a blizzard in a sweatshirt. — Arturo Conde, NBC News, 1 Aug. 2022 Several hundred miles later, Benerofe bailed on the famous Franconia Ridge in New Hampshire the day after a blizzard to wait out the relentless windchill in a hostel below. — Outside Online, 6 July 2022 This is the approach that college sports should be taking instead of behaving like a panicked shopper at the grocery store before a blizzard hits, grabbing any items left. — Globe Staff, BostonGlobe.com, 5 July 2022 The city is walloped by a massive blizzard that dumps 20.3 inches of snow. — Chicago Tribune, 26 June 2022 The Oreo Dirt Pie blizzard is made with Oreo cookie pieces, gummy worms and fudge crumble all blended in soft serve ice cream. — Antonia Debianchi, PEOPLE.com, 22 June 2022 Demand overruns stock in a capitalist's nightmare, and most people leave empty handed, without enough flashlights, batteries, or cookware to ride out the approaching hurricane, blizzard, or wildfire. — Matt Jancer, Wired, 12 June 2022 Then, this season, Manitoba was hit by a major spring blizzard and several Colorado lows that have caused flooding in the Red River Valley and brought unseasonably cold, damp weather that has delayed planting across the province. — Stephanie Hanes, The Christian Science Monitor, 3 June 2022 See More

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'blizzard.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.