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blizzard

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See also: Blizzard

English

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Satellite image of the January 2025 Gulf Coast blizzard.
View of an active blizzard in Saskatoon in January 2007.

Etymology

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Unknown, with various theories as below. Compare English blizz (“violent rainstorm”), dialectal English bliz (“violent blow”); one etymology, from Midlands English dialect, seems to be ultimately from Old English blysa (“blaze”).

Etymology theories
  • The earliest written use of blizzard as a term to describe a severe snowstorm, spelled blizard, was in the Estherville, Iowa's Northern Vindicator on 23 April 1870. O.C. Bates,[1] neologistic editor of the Northern Vindicator, used it for the terrific snowstorms in the state that spring. He claimed he had picked up the term from locals characterizing a "Lightning Ellis", on account of his violent outbursts. One week later it appeared again in the same newspaper, only with the now-common double-z spelling.
  • Blizzard possibly comes from the surname "Blizzard" dating back to 1700s(?). Blizzard surname possibly comes from the blizzard one, dating back to the 1500s(?).
  • The word blizzard was used (not in relation to the weather) in America prior to 1870. It had various, roughly associated, now obsolete meanings:
Blast with a firearm or cannon [2] (whether one or multiple bullets or pellets uncertain)
Verbal blast [3]
Blast with a firearm or cannon [4] (single ball or bullet):
Blazing fire [5]
Heavy or painful physical blow [6] (not involving a firearm)
Literal or figurative attack [7]
Exclamation [8](like “the blazes” or “blue blazes")
Blast with multiple firearms or with a firearm loaded with multiple pellets [9]
Shot of liquor [10]
  • Probably from the German blitzartig (“very fast, like lightning”)
  • Another version suggests French blesser (to wound),[11] but neither this nor the German can be substantiated. Yet another claims that blizzard derives from English dialect blizzer, meaning "a blaze" or "flash" ("Put towthry sticks on th' fire, an' let's have a blizzer," - The English Dialect Dictionary) [12] or from blazer (something that blazes or blasts), which gave the early sense "a volley of firing guns," that is, a general "blazing away."

BLIZZARD (7th S. v. 106).—The word blizzard is well known through the Midlands, and its cognates are fairly numerous. I have known the word and its kin fully thirty years. Country folk use the word to denote blazing, blasting, blinding, dazzling, or stifling. One who has had to face a severe storm of snow, hail, rain, dust, or wind, would say on reaching shelter that he has "faced a blizzer," or that the storm was "a regular blizzard." A blinding flash of lightning would call forth the exclamation, "My! that wor a blizzomer!" or "That wor a blizzer!" "Put towthry sticks on th' fire, an let's have a blizzer"—a blaze. "A good blizzom" = a good blaze. "That tree is blizzared" = blasted, withered. As an oath the word is often used, and "May I be blizzerded" will be readily understood.

  • A check of some of the Midlands regional glossaries printed in the 1800s finds several entries for blizzy. First, from Anne Baker, Glossary of Northamptonshire words and phrases (1854): [13]

BLIZZY. A blaze. "Blow the fire, and let's have a nice blizzy." This, though now considered a vulgarism, is a retention of the original A.-Sax. blysa, a blaze.

And Angelina Parker, A Glossary of Words Used in Oxfordshire (1876): [14]

Blizzy, a flaring fire produced by putting on small sticks. Ex. 'Let's 'a a bit of a blizzy afore us goes to bed.'

And from Barzillai Lowsley, A Glossary of Berkshire Words and Phrases (1888): [15]

BLIZZY.— A blaze. The fire is said to be all of a "blizzy" when pieces of wood have been inserted amongst the coal to make it burn cheerfully.

And from G. F. Northall, A Warwickshire Word-book (1896): [16]

Blizzy, sb. A blaze, a blast, a flare of fire. A.-Sax. blysa, a blaze. Common.

They suggest that blizzy survived from the ancient word blysa in numerous localities and might well share a root with the U.S. blizzard.

Pronunciation

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Noun

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blizzard (plural blizzards)

  1. A large snowstorm accompanied by strong winds and greatly reduced visibility caused by blowing snow.
  2. (figuratively) A large amount of paperwork.
  3. (figuratively) A large number of similar things; especially, such a group arriving as an inundation, thick and fast.
    Near-synonyms: flood, inundation, torrent
    a blizzard of political ads
    • 2013 June 22, “Snakes and ladders”, in The Economist, volume 407, number 8841, page 76:
      Risk is everywhere. […] For each one there is a frighteningly precise measurement of just how likely it is to jump from the shadows and get you. “The Norm Chronicles” […] aims to help data-phobes find their way through this blizzard of risks.

Derived terms

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Translations

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Translations to be checked

Verb

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blizzard (third-person singular simple present blizzards, present participle blizzarding, simple past and past participle blizzarded)

  1. (impersonal, of snow) To fall in windy conditions.

Coordinate terms

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Translations

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References

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  1. ^ Garaeme Donald (2008), Fighting Talk General Military‎[1], →ISBN, retrieved 21 February 2015, page 49
  2. ^ Davy Crockett (1834), Davy Crockett Almanack‎[2], retrieved 21 February 2015
  3. ^ Davy Crockett (1835), An Account of Col. Crockett's Tour to the North and Down East: In the Year of Our Lord One Thousand Eight Hundred and Thirty-four. His Object Being to Examine the Grand Manufacturing Establishments of the Country; and Also to Find Out the Condition of Its Literature and Morals, the Extent of Its Commerce, and the Practical Operation of "The Experiment", Davy Crockett‎[3], retrieved 21 February 2015, page 19
  4. ^ Barrère, Albert, Leland, Charles Godfrey, editors (1897), A Dictionary of Slang, Jargon & Cant Embracing English, American, and Anglo-Indian Slang, Pidgin English, Gypsies' Jargon and Other Irregular Phraseology, Volume 1‎[4], retrieved 21 February 2015, page 129
  5. ^ Joseph Jones (1843), Major Jones's Scenes in Georgia Volume 25 of American humorists series Foreign Book and Serial Vendors Directories‎[5], →ISBN, retrieved 21 February 2015, page 153
  6. ^ Johnson, Oliver, editor (25 August 1849), “Diabolical Outrage”, in Anti-slavery Bugle‎[6], volume 4, number 52, Salem, Ohio: Executive Committee of the Western Anti-slavery Society, →ISSN, retrieved 21 February 2015, page 3
  7. ^ “~Whig Candidate for Floater!~ To Your Tents, Oh! Israel!”, in Fayetteville Observer‎[7], volume 1, number 1, Fayetteville, Tennessee: Alfred H. Berry, 29 July 1851, →ISSN, retrieved 21 February 2015, page 3
  8. ^ Siegfried, S., Siegfried, S. Jr, editors (5 November 1853), “Pocketbook Found”, in Mongolia Mirror‎[8], volume 5, number 122, Morgantown, Virginia: Simeon Siegfried, Sr., →ISSN, retrieved 21 February 2015, page 1
  9. ^ Peddler, A Book (15 November 1860), “Life in Egypt”, in Caskey, J., editor, Holms County Republican‎[9], volume 5, number 13, Millsburg, Ohio: J. Caskey, →ISSN, retrieved 21 February 2015, page 1
  10. ^ Row, S. J., editor (21 September 1870), “Raftsman's Journal”, in Raftsman's Journal‎[10], Clearfield Pennsylvania: Ben. Jones, →ISSN, retrieved 21 February 2015, page 2
  11. ^ Craig M. Carver (1991), A History of English in Its own words‎[11], →ISBN, retrieved 21 February 2015, page 202
  12. ^ Joseph Wright (1898), The English Dialect Dictionary‎[12], →ISBN, retrieved 21 February 2015, page 303
  13. ^ Anne Baker (1854), Glossary of Northamptonshire words and phrases vol. 1‎[13], →ISBN, retrieved 21 February 2015, page 57
  14. ^ Angalina Parker (1876), A Glossary of Words Used in Oxfordshire‎[14], →ISBN, retrieved 21 February 2015, page 114
  15. ^ Barzillai Lowsley (1888), A Glossary of Berkshire Words and Phrases‎[15], →ISBN, retrieved 21 February 2015, page 80
  16. ^ G. F. Northall (1896), A Warwickshire Word-book‎[16], retrieved 21 February 2015, page 31

French

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French Wikipedia has an article on:
Wikipedia fr

Etymology

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    Borrowed from English blizzard.

    Pronunciation

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    Noun

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    blizzard m (plural blizzards)

    1. blizzard
      Hypernym: tempête de neige

    Synonyms

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    Further reading

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