bloom

¹ American  

[bloom] / blum /

noun

1. the flower of a plant.

   Synonyms:

   blossom

2. flowers collectively.

   the bloom of the cherry tree.

3. state of having the buds opened.

   The gardens are all in bloom.

   Synonyms:

   efflorescence

4. a flourishing, healthy condition; the time or period of greatest beauty, artistry, etc..

   the bloom of youth;

   the bloom of Romanticism.

   Synonyms:

   prime, vigor, flush, glow

5. a glow or flush on the cheek indicative of youth and health.

   a serious illness that destroyed her bloom.

6. the glossy, healthy appearance of the coat of an animal.

7. a moist, lustrous appearance indicating freshness in fish.

8. redness or a fresh appearance on the surface of meat.

9. Botany. a whitish powdery deposit or coating, as on the surface of certain fruits and leaves.

   the bloom of the grape.

10. any similar surface coating or appearance.

    the bloom of newly minted coins.

11. any of certain minerals occurring as powdery coatings on rocks or other minerals.

12. Also called chill.  a clouded or dull area on a varnished or lacquered surface.

13. Also called algal bloom.  Also called water bloom.  the sudden development of conspicuous masses of organisms, as algae, on the surface of a body of water.

14. Television. image spread produced by excessive exposure of highlights in a television image.

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verb (used without object)

1. to produce or yield blossoms.

   Synonyms:

   effloresce

2. to flourish or thrive.

   a recurrent fad that blooms from time to time.

3. to be in or achieve a state of healthful beauty and vigor.

   a sickly child who suddenly bloomed;

   a small talent that somehow bloomed into major artistry.

4. to glow with warmth or with a warm color.

verb (used with object)

1. to cause to yield blossoms.

2. to make bloom or cause to flourish.

   a happiness that blooms the cheek.

3. to invest with luster or beauty.

   an industry that blooms one's talents.

4. to cause a cloudy area on (something shiny); dampen; chill.

   Their breath bloomed the frosty pane.

5. Optics. to coat (a lens) with an antireflection material.

idioms

1. take the bloom off, to remove the enjoyment or ultimate satisfaction from; dampen the enthusiasm over.

   The coach's illness took the bloom off the team's victory.

2. the bloom is off (the rose), the excitement, enjoyment, interest, etc., has ended or been dampened.

bloom ² American  

[bloom] / blum /

noun

1. a piece of steel, square or slightly oblong in section, reduced from an ingot to dimensions suitable for further rolling.

2. a large lump of iron and slag, of pasty consistency when hot, produced in a puddling furnace or bloomery and hammered into wrought iron.

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verb (used with object)

1. to make (an ingot) into a bloom.

Bloom ³ American  

[bloom] / blum /

noun

1. Harold, 1930–2019, U.S. literary critic and teacher.

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bloom ¹ British  

/ bluːm /

noun

1. a blossom on a flowering plant; a flower

2. the state, time, or period when flowers open (esp in the phrases in bloom, in full bloom )

3. open flowers collectively

   a tree covered with bloom

4. a healthy, vigorous, or flourishing condition; prime (esp in the phrase the bloom of youth )

5. youthful or healthy rosiness in the cheeks or face; glow

6. a fine whitish coating on the surface of fruits, leaves, etc, consisting of minute grains of a waxy substance

7. any coating similar in appearance, such as that on new coins

8. ecology a visible increase in the algal constituent of plankton, which may be seasonal or due to excessive organic pollution

9. Also called: chill.  a dull area formed on the surface of gloss paint, lacquer, or varnish

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verb

1. (of flowers) to open; come into flower

2. to bear flowers; blossom

3. to flourish or grow

4. to be in a healthy, glowing, or flourishing condition

5. (tr) physics to coat (a lens) with a thin layer of a substance, often magnesium fluoride, to eliminate surface reflection

bloom ² British  

/ bluːm /

noun

1. a rectangular mass of metal obtained by rolling or forging a cast ingot See also billet 1

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verb

1. (tr) to convert (an ingot) into a bloom by rolling or forging

Other Word Forms

• bloomless adjective

Etymology

Origin of bloom¹

First recorded in 1150–1200; Middle English noun blom, blome, from Old Norse blōm, blōmi; cognate with Gothic blōma “lily,” German Blume “flower”; akin to blow ³; verb derivative of the noun

Origin of bloom²

First recorded before 1000; from Middle English blome “squared mass of metal of aproximately standard weight,” Old English blōma “mass of iron”; perhaps akin to bloom ¹

Explanation

A bloom is a flower. You might mark the beginning of spring by the very first bloom you see in your garden. The noun bloom is useful for talking about blossoms themselves, but you can also use it as a verb meaning the process of flowering: "Those trees seemed to bloom overnight!" Another meaning of bloom is more figurative, meaning the peak or ideal moment for something. The bloom of your career selling Girl Scout cookies might be one sunny weekend outside the local supermarket. The origin of the word bloom is the Old Norse word blóm, "flower or blossom."

Example Sentences

Pangy the corpse flower is back in bloom.

From MarketWatch • Apr. 16, 2026

On the plains of northwestern Iran, edged by snow-ribboned ridges, spring nudges almond trees into frothy bloom and a fragile ceasefire brings more traffic onto highways, and more Iranians back to their homeland.

From BBC • Apr. 15, 2026

This year, after unusually heavy rains in February, Carrizo Plain erupted in a dramatic bloom in March, attracting several hundred visitors per day.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 10, 2026

Add red pepper flakes and dried oregano, letting them bloom in the fat just long enough to wake up—fragrant, a little toasty, the edges of their flavor beginning to soften and deepen.

From Salon • Apr. 3, 2026

Who taught me how to put down roots, and thrive on both sun and rain, and understand what it is to bloom.

From "Beyond the Bright Sea" by Lauren Wolk

Related Words

• blossom
• germinate
• grow
• prosper
• sprout
• thrive