blossom

Apple blossoms.

English

Etymology

Middle English blosme, from Old English blōstm, blōstma, from Proto-Germanic *blōstama (compare West Frisian blossem, Dutch bloesem), enlargement of *blōstaz (compare German Blust), from Proto-Indo-European *bʰleh₃-s- ‘bloom, flower’ (compare Latin flōs ‘flower’, Flōra ‘goddess of plants’), from Proto-Indo-European *bʰel- ‘to thrive, bloom’. More at blow.

Alternative forms

• blasom (Jamaican English)

Pronunciation

• (UK) IPA: /ˈblɒ.səm/
• (US) IPA: /ˈblɑ.səm/

Noun

blossom (plural blossoms)

1. A flower, especially indicative of fruit as seen on a fruit tree etc.; taken collectively as the mass of such flowers.

   The blossom has come early this year.

2. The state or season of producing such flowers.

   The orchard is in blossom.

Derived terms

apple blossom blossomed blossom-end rot blossom-faced blossom-headed blossoming blossomless blossom-nosed blossom-rock blossomry blossomy emblossom, imblossom grog-blossom

may-blossom in blossom may-blossom orange blossom out-blossom out-blossoming peach blossom pease-blossom plum blossom rum-blossom reblossom snow-blossom

Translations

flowers on trees

Armenian: ծաղիկ (hy) (całik) Bosnian: behar (bs) m., cvijet (bs) m., cvat (bs) m. Bulgarian: цвят (bg) m. Croatian: behar (hr) m., cvijet (hr) m. Dutch: bloesem (nl) m. Estonian: õis (et) Finnish: kukat (fi), kukinta (fi) French: fleur (fr) f. German: Blüte (de) f. Hungarian: virág (hu) Italian: bocciuolo (it) m. Jamaican Creole: blasam, blazam

Luxembourgish: Bléi (lb) f. Old English: blōstma (ang) m. Portuguese: flor (pt) f. Russian: цветок (ru) Scottish Gaelic: blàth (gd) m., dìthean (gd) m., flùr (gd) m. Serbian: Cyrillic: бехар m., цвет m., цват m. Roman: behar m., cvet m., cvat m. Spanish: copa de la flor (es) f. Swedish: blomma (sv) c. Turkish: çiçek (tr), bahar (tr)

state or season for such flowers

Bulgarian: цъфтеж (bg) m. Czech: rozkvět (cs) m. Dutch: bloesemtijd (nl) m., bloeitijd (nl) m., bloei (nl) m. Finnish: kukinta (fi) (state); kukinta-aika (fi) (season) French: floraison (fr) f. German: Blüte (de) f.

Hebrew: פריחה (prikha) f. Kurdish: گه‌ش Luxembourgish: Bléi (lb) f. Portuguese: floração (pt) f., florada (pt) f. Russian: период цветения (ru) Spanish: estar en epoca (es) Swedish: blomning (sv) c.

Verb

blossom (third-person singular simple present blossoms, present participle blossoming, simple past and past participle blossomed)

1. (intransitive) To have or open into blossoms; to bloom.
2. (intransitive) To begin to thrive or flourish.

Synonyms

• (have or open into blossoms): bloom, come into bloom, come into blossom, flower
• (begin to thrive or flourish): bloom, flourish, grow, prosper, thrive

Translations

have or open into blossoms

Bulgarian: цъфвам (bg) Finnish: kukkia (fi), puhjeta (fi) French: fleurir (fr) German: blühen (de), erblühen (de) Hungarian: virágzik (hu) Kurdish: گه‌شانه‌وه‌

Luxembourgish: bléien (lb), floréieren (lb) Old English: blōstmian (ang) Portuguese: desabrochar (pt), florir (pt), florescer (pt) Russian: цвести (ru) Swedish: blomma (sv) Volapük: florön (vo)

begin to thrive or flourish

Bulgarian: разцъфтявам (bg) Finnish: kukoistaa (fi) French: s'épanouir (fr) German: blühen (de), aufblühen (de)

Kurdish: گه‌شانه‌وه‌ Luxembourgish: bléien (lb), opbléien (lb) Russian: расцветать (ru) Volapük: florön (vo)