bloom

¹

[ bloom ]

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 al·gal bloom [al, -g, uh, l , 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.

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.

bloom

²

[ bloom ]

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.

verb (used with object)

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

Bloom

³

[ bloom ]

noun

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

bloom

¹

/ 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 calledchill a dull area formed on the surface of gloss paint, lacquer, or varnish

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

/ bluːm /

noun

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

verb

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

Other Words From

• bloom·less adjective

Word History and Origins

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

Word History and Origins

Origin of bloom¹

C13: of Germanic origin; compare Old Norse blōm flower, Old High German bluomo , Middle Dutch bloeme ; see blow ³

Origin of bloom²

Old English blōma lump of metal

Idioms and Phrases

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.

Example Sentences

Flowers are ubiquitous in Southern California and so easy to procure, from the buckets of seasonal blooms at your local supermarket to the gaudy $5 bouquets hawked at many freeway off-ramps.

From Los Angeles Times

Projects by Israeli nonprofits to introduce this species and other non-native trees, in other words, may not be conducive to their stated mission of "making the desert bloom."

From Salon

The film opens with our feline encountering a pack of overzealous canines in the blooming forest before napping in a seemingly abandoned Northern European-inspired home.

From Los Angeles Times

His advice to blooming artists who want to follow in his footsteps is to "always think of new ways of getting your content out there. Always be on the ball".

From BBC

Goalkeepers bloom later than outfield players - but Kelleher, who did not go in goal until he was 14, has not played nearly as much football as he ideally would have.

From BBC

Related Words

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