bloom

See also Bloom

English

Pronunciation

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• Rhymes: -uːm

Etymology 1

Middle English blome, from Old Norse blóm, from Proto-Germanic *blōmô (compare West Frisian blom, Dutch bloem, German Blume), from Proto-Indo-European *bhloh- 'to thrive, bloom' (compare Irish blath 'leaf', Latin folium 'leaf', Albanian bilonjë 'twig, branch', Ancient Greek phýllon 'leaf'). More at blow.

Noun

bloom (plural blooms)

1. A blossom; the flower of a plant; an expanded bud.
2. Flowers, collectively.
3. (uncountable) The opening of flowers in general; the state of blossoming or of having the flowers open.

   The cherry trees are in bloom.

4. A state or time of beauty, freshness, and vigor/vigour; an opening to higher perfection, analogous to that of buds into blossoms.

   the bloom of youth

5. The delicate, powdery coating upon certain growing or newly-gathered fruits or leaves, as on grapes, plums, etc.
6. Anything giving an appearance of attractive freshness.
7. The clouded appearance which varnish sometimes takes upon the surface of a picture.
8. A yellowish deposit or powdery coating which appears on well-tanned leather. (Knight.)
9. (mineralogy) A popular term for a bright-hued variety of some minerals.

   the rose-red cobalt bloom

10. A white area of cocoa butter that forms on the surface of chocolate when warmed and cooled.

Synonyms

• (flower of a plant): blossom, flower
• (opening of flowers): blossom, flower
• (anything giving an appearance of attractive freshness): flush, glow

Derived terms

Terms derived from bloom (noun)

bloom is off the rose

bloomy

in bloom

Translations

blossom — see blossom

flower — see flower

the state of blossoming

Bulgarian: цъфтеж (bg) m., цъфтене (bg) n. Finnish: kukinta (fi)

French: floraison (fr) f., en fleurs (fr), efflorescence (fr) f.

state or time of beauty, freshness, and vigor

Bulgarian: разцвет (bg) m., свежест (bg) f.

French: fleur (fr) f.

delicate, powdery coating upon certain growing or newly-gathered fruits or leaves

Bulgarian: пух (bg) m.

French: pruine (fr) f., velours (fr) m., duvet (fr) m.

anything giving an appearance of attractive freshness

the clouded appearance which varnish sometimes takes upon the surface of a picture

yellowish deposit or powdery coating which appears on well-tanned leather

mineralogy: a popular term for a bright-hued variety of some minerals

French: fleur (fr) f.

white area of cocoa butter

French: voile (fr) m.

Etymology 2

From Middle English bloom (“a blossom”)

Verb

bloom (third-person singular simple present blooms, present participle blooming, simple past and past participle bloomed)

1. (transitive) To cause to blossom; to make flourish.
2. (transitive) To bestow a bloom upon; to make blooming or radiant.
3. (intransitive) Of a plant, to produce blooms; to open its blooms.
4. (intransitive, figuratively) Of a person, business, etc, to flourish.

Synonyms

• (produce blooms): blossom, flower
• (flourish): blossom, flourish, thrive

Derived terms

• bloomer
• late bloomer

Translations

cause to bloom; make flourish

Bulgarian: разцъфвам (bg) Finnish: saada kukkimaan

Latin: vernō (la)

make blooming or radiant

open its blooms

Bulgarian: цъфтя (bg) Finnish: kukkia (fi) German: blühen (de)

Hungarian: virágzik (hu) Japanese: 咲く (さく, saku)

flourish

Bulgarian: разцъфвам (bg) Esperanto: flori (eo)

Finnish: kukkia (fi) German: blühen (de)

Etymology 3

From Old English blōma

Noun

bloom (plural blooms)

1. The spongy mass of metal formed in a furnace by the smelting process.
   • 1957, H.R. Schubert, History of the British Iron and Steel Industry, p. 26:

     These metallic bodies gradually increasing in volume finally conglomerate into a larger mass, the bloom, which is extracted from the furnace with tongs.

Translations

the spongy mass of metal formed in a furnace by the smelting process

Bulgarian: блума (bg) f., брус (bg) m.

Related terms

• bloomery
• blooming

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Chinook Jargon

Etymology

From English broom.

Noun

bloom

1. broom

Derived terms

• mamook bloom