A blitz is a sustained bombing campaign against a city. The Blitz, blitzed cities, during the blitz.
With a capital letter, the Blitz means the German bombing of British cities from September 1940 to May 1941, and Blitz spirit is the phrase for cheerful endurance under pressure. More generally, a blitz is any short intense effort: a cleaning blitz, an advertising blitz. In chess, blitz is a fast time control of a few minutes a side. Note blitzed, which in informal speech also means very drunk.
1nounblitzA sustained bombing campaign against a city.
“The blitz on that city lasted about eight months.”
2nounshortA short intense effort at something.
“Before the exam, she did a revision blitz, studying every evening for a week.”
blitz is an intense sustained attack or effort.
German Blitzkrieg means lightning war — Blitz, lightning, plus Krieg, war. English cut it in half and kept the lightning, so the bombing campaign is named after a flash of light.
German
Blitzkrieg
English, today
blitz
a clipping of blitzkrieg, from German Blitzkrieg literally “lightning war”.
Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA
Practised in History & Eras, Chess & Card Games