blizzard

noun

bliz·​zard ˈbli-zərd 

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

ˈbli-zər-dē 

adjective

or less commonly blizzardly

ˈbli-ˌzərd-lē 

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

The doctor’s screen shivers in the blizzard static of an ancient black- and-white TV where snow, once started, falls and falls. —Rosanna Warren, The New Yorker, 9 Dec. 2024

As of Thursday morning, numerous states in the storm's path were affected by other winter weather alerts, including a winter storm warning, winter weather advisory, lake effect snow warning and blizzard warning. —Anna Skinner, Newsweek, 5 Dec. 2024

In Erie, Pennsylvania, a blizzard warning is in effect until 1 a.m. EST on Saturday. —Calvin Milliner, ABC News, 5 Dec. 2024

Forecasters said a whiteout blizzard could hit parts of the Cascade mountains, which run along the spine of the West Coast. —Evan Bush, NBC News, 20 Nov. 2024

Word History

Etymology

origin unknown

First Known Use

1870, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Kids Definition

blizzard

noun

bliz·​zard ˈbliz-ərd 

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