blitz

 
Pronunciation: /blɪts/

noun

  • 1an intensive or sudden military attack: a heavy artillery blitz
  • (the Blitz) the German air raids on Britain in 1940-1.
  • 2 informal a sudden concerted effort to deal with something: Katrina and I had a blitz on the cleaning
  • American Football a play in which one or more defensive backs charge the quarterback of the opposing team.

verb

[with object]
  • 1attack or seriously damage (a place) in a blitz: news came that Rotterdam had been blitzed figurative she blitzed her own world record in the 400m freestyle
  • 2process (food) in an electric mixing machine: add the eggs and blitz the mixture until it becomes granular
  • 3 American Football charge (the opposing team’s quarterback) in a blitz.

Phrases

Blitz spirit

(also the spirit of the Blitz)
British stoicism and determination in a difficult or dangerous situation, especially as displayed by a group of people: he urged the British public to show their Blitz spirit in the face of the recession

Origin:

1930s: abbreviation of blitzkrieg