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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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Slaton survived on wild leeks and braved a mountain blizzard before finding the cabin, according to Gutierrez. Jenna Sundel, MSNBC Newsweek, 15 May 2025 Down here, the temperature hovers at a near-constant 42 degrees Fahrenheit, shifting only a few degrees with seasonal heat waves or blizzards. Michael Ray Taylor, Smithsonian Magazine, 14 May 2025 Prosecutors allege Read hit O'Keefe with her vehicle and left him to die as Boston was hit with a major blizzard. Meghan Mariani, ABC News, 28 Apr. 2025 Abby's story collides with some of the residents of Jackson as a blizzard rages and the infected start emerging from the snow. Sara Netzley, EW.com, 21 Apr. 2025 See All Example Sentences for blizzard

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

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Blizzard.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/blizzard. Accessed 28 May. 2025.

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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