Blitz

See also: blitz

English

Etymology

Shortened from German Blitzkrieg (“blitzkrieg”, literally “lightning war”). The Blitz was in truth not a blitzkrieg, which is a rapid ground offensive based on superior tank forces. However, the word was current at the time for the successful German campaigns in Poland and France, and was transferred to the attacks on Britain, perhaps by association of Blitz (“lightning”) with the bombings.

Pronunciation
  • IPA(key): /blɪts/
  • Rhymes: -ɪts

Proper noun

the Blitz

  1. (historical) The series of air raids launched on various cities in Great Britain by the German air force in 1940–41 during World War II.
    Synonym: Baedeker raids

Further reading

Anagrams

German

Etymology

From Middle High German blitze (“lightning”), from Old High German blëcchazzen, from Proto-West Germanic *blaik, whence English bleak and bleach.

Cognates:
See also Old Saxon bliksmo (“lightning”), Old English blæcern (“candlestick”), Dutch bliksem, Ancient Greek φλέγω (phlégō, “to burn, blaze”), Sanskrit भ्राज (bhrāja, “to radiate, sparkle”), Latin fulgur (“lightning”).[1]

Pronunciation
  • IPA(key): /blɪts/
  • audio(file)

Noun

Blitz m (strong, genitive Blitzes, plural Blitze)

  1. (meteorology) a bolt of lightning
    Ein Blitz erhellte die Nacht.
    A bolt of lightning lit the night.
  2. (photography) flash

Declension
Declension of Blitz [masculine, strong]
singular plural
indef. def. noun def. noun
nominative ein der Blitz die Blitze
genitive eines des Blitzes der Blitze
dative einem dem Blitz, Blitze1 den Blitzen
accusative einen den Blitz die Blitze

1Now rare, see notes.

Derived terms

References
  1. Friedrich Kluge (1883) “Blitz”, in John Francis Davis, transl., Etymological Dictionary of the German Language, published 1891

Further reading
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