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blitz

blitz

noun bleets Rare

Origin: From German Blitz ('lightning'), popularised by WWII Blitzkrieg.

Also means

swift raid

Usage Note

Blitz entered Italian as an indeclinable masculine loanword — il blitz, i blitz (plural unchanged). It is used by journalists and police to describe a sudden, swift operation: un blitz della polizia ('a police raid'), un blitz fiscale ('a tax blitz'). In everyday language it informally means any rapid, decisive action. The short 'i' and final cluster -ts distinguish it from Italian-native words.

Examples

"La polizia ha effettuato un blitz all'alba."

Natural Translation

The police carried out a blitz at dawn.

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