bloom

plural blooms

1. countableuncountableA blossom; the flower of a plant; an expanded bud.

   the rich blooms and enamelled vegetation of the tropics

   1843, William H[ickling] Prescott, History of the Conquest of Mexico, […], volume (please specify |volume=I to III), New York, N.Y.: Harper and Brothers, […], →OCLC

   1 more example

   In May, when coyotes howl beneath an unnervingly large moon, taller plant, such as spiderworts and black-eyed Susans, begin to creep over the tinier blooms, stealing their light and water.

   2021 (originally published 2017, adapted 2021), David Grann, Killers of the Flower Moon: Adapted for Younger Readers, page 1

   Synonyms: blossom, flower

2. collectivecountableuncountableFlowers.
3. uncountableThe opening of flowers in general; the state of blossoming or of having the flowers open.

   The cherry trees are in bloom.

   2 more examples

   sight of vernal bloom

   1667, John Milton, “Book III”, in Paradise Lost. […], London: […] [Samuel Simmons], and are to be sold by Peter Parker […]; [a]nd by Robert Boulter […]; [a]nd Matthias Walker, […], →OCLC; republished as Paradise Lost in Ten Books: […], London: Basil Montagu Pickering […], 1873, →OCLC

   O, not for thee the glow, the bloom, ⁠Who changest not in any gale, ⁠Nor branding summer suns avail To touch thy thousand years of gloom: […]

   1850, [Alfred, Lord Tennyson], “Canto II”, in In Memoriam, London: Edward Moxon, […], →OCLC

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

   the bloom of youth

   2 more examples

   every successive mother had transmitted to her child a fainter bloom, a more delicate and briefer beauty.

   1850, Nathaniel Hawthorne, The Scarlet Letter, a Romance, Boston, Mass.: Ticknor, Reed, and Fields, →OCLC

   We can have some more / Nature is a whore / Bruises on the fruit / Tender age in bloom

   1992, “In Bloom”, in Kurt Cobain (lyrics), Nevermind, performed by Nirvana

   Synonyms: prime

5. countableuncountableRosy colour; the flush or glow on a person's cheek.
6. countableuncountableThe delicate, powdery coating upon certain growing or newly-gathered fruits or leaves, as on grapes, plums, etc.

   The bloom on blueberries is the dusty powder that protects them from the Sun; it does not rinse off.

   2010, Donna Pliner Rodnitzky, Low-Carb Smoothies

7. countableuncountableAnything giving an appearance of attractive freshness.

   a new, fresh, brilliant world, with all the bloom upon it

   1847 January – 1848 July, William Makepeace Thackeray, chapter 2, in Vanity Fair […], London: Bradbury and Evans […], published 1848, →OCLC

   Synonyms: flush, glow

8. countableuncountableAn algal bloom.

   Where upwellings or other sources of nutrients allow Ehux to abound, it can proliferate, as blooms, to the point that the ocean turns milky.

   2018, Tim Flannery, Europe: A Natural History, page 28

9. collectivecountableuncountablebiologyA group of jellyfish, especially one caused by a swift increase in the population and especially when they are stranded on shore; the occurrence of such a bloom, and the ecological impact it has.
10. countableuncountableThe clouded appearance which varnish sometimes takes upon the surface of a picture.
11. countableuncountableA yellowish deposit or powdery coating which appears on well-tanned leather.
12. countableuncountablechemistryA bright-hued variety of some minerals.

    the rose-red cobalt bloom

13. countableuncountablecookingA white area of cocoa butter that forms on the surface of chocolate when warmed and cooled.
14. countableuncountableA natural protective coating on an eggshell.
15. countableuncountablebroadcastingAn undesirable halo effect that may occur when a very bright region is displayed next to a very dark region of the screen.
16. countableuncountablevideo gamesThe increase in bullet spread over time as a gun's trigger is kept held.

    1 more example

    Bloom does add a skill element, burst firing the weapon instead of holding the trigger down, but it's questionable if adding a skill element like that is the actual intent of bloom, because that’s a pretty lame and linear skill element to add, requiring people to tap the button instead of hold it down.

    2018 February 21, “Bullet Bloom: An FPS Tragedy”, in CritPoints

17. Philippinescountableplural normallyslanguncountablelifestyleA fan of Filipino girl group BINI.
18. collectivecountableuncountableA large swarm of ladybugs.

    Thousands of the little red and black insects took flight at the same time, and the bloom stretched for 10 miles before they landed.

    2019 June 6, “A gaggle, a confusion and a conspiracy - bizarre animal collective group names”, in BBC

    1 more example

    Though the bloom appeared to be a massive 80 miles by 80 miles on the radar, Dandrea believes the lady beetles were not flying in a concentrated mass that big.

    2019 June 7, Meera D., “"Rain Cloud" On Weather Radar Turns Out To Be A Ladybug Swarm”, in DoGo News

19. countableuncountableA residue left on a surface as a result of a chemical process.

    A thin yellowish "bloom" covered the film, but this polished off as before, and the metallic silver took a perfectly "black" polish.

    1892, Royal Astronomical Society, Memoirs of the Royal Astronomical Society, volumes 50-51, Blackwell Scientific, page 162

present singular third person blooms · participle present blooming · participle past bloomed · past bloomed

1. transitiveTo cause to blossom; to make flourish.

   Charitable affection bloomed them.

   [1594], Richard Hooker, edited by J[ohn] S[penser], Of the Lawes of Ecclesiastical Politie, […], London: […] Iohn Windet, […], →OCLC, (please specify the page)

2. transitiveTo bestow a bloom upon; to make blooming or radiant.

   The Tree of Life[…]blooming Ambrosial Fruit Of vegetable Gold.

   1667, John Milton, “Book IV”, in Paradise Lost. […], London: […] [Samuel Simmons], and are to be sold by Peter Parker […]; [a]nd by Robert Boulter […]; [a]nd Matthias Walker, […], →OCLC; republished as Paradise Lost in Ten Books: […], London: Basil Montagu Pickering […], 1873, →OCLC

   1 more example

   Where are the songs of Spring? Ay, where are they? / Think not of them, thou hast thy music too,— / While barred clouds bloom the soft-dying day, / And touch the stubble-plains with rosy hue; [...]

   1819 September 19, John Keats, “To Autumn”, in Lamia, Isabella, the Eve of St. Agnes, and Other Poems, London: […] [Thomas Davison] for Taylor and Hessey, […], published 1820, →OCLC, stanza 3, page 138

3. intransitiveOf a plant, to produce blooms; to open its blooms.

   A flower which once / In Paradise, fast by the tree of life, / Began to bloom.

   1667, John Milton, “Book I”, in Paradise Lost. […], London: […] [Samuel Simmons], and are to be sold by Peter Parker […]; [a]nd by Robert Boulter […]; [a]nd Matthias Walker, […], →OCLC; republished as Paradise Lost in Ten Books: […], London: Basil Montagu Pickering […], 1873, →OCLC

   Synonyms: blossom, flower

4. figurativelyintransitiveTo spread; to slowly expand like a field of flowers that blossom in fits and spurts.

   Shadows bloomed over the yard.

   1 more example

   Anger bloomed up from his throat.

5. figurativelyintransitiveOf a person, business, etc, to flourish; to be in a state of healthful, growing youth and vigour; to show beauty and freshness.

   A better country blooms to view, / Beneath a brighter sky.

   a. 1788, John Logan, A Tale

   2 more examples

   Nurse Cramer had a cute nose and a radiant, blooming complexion dotted with fetching sprays of adorable freckles that Yossarian detested.

   1961 November 10, Joseph Heller, “The Soldier in White”, in Catch-22 […], New York, N.Y.: Simon and Schuster, →OCLC, page 171

   The attacking three have also been allowed to bloom. Liberated from deep defensive duties Eden Hazard has become more expressive, more obviously, flashily complete.

   2017 May 13, Barney Ronay, “Antonio Conte’s brilliance has turned Chelsea’s pop-up team into champions”, in the Guardian

6. cookingTo bring out the flavor of a spice by cooking it in oil.
7. intransitivecookingTo develop a layer of bloom (white, spotty areas of cocoa butter) due to repeated warming and cooling.
8. cookingTo let carbon dioxide to escape from coffee in order to improve the taste.
9. cookingTo hydrate ingredients (such as gelatin or yeast) before using them.

   Synonyms: proof, rehydrate

plural blooms

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

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

   1957, H.R. Schubert, History of the British Iron and Steel Industry, page 26

1. A surname.

   Jay Bloom described the experience of learning what happened to the Titan as “very surreal”.

   2023 June 24, Chris Lau and Sara Smart, “‘That could’ve been us,’ say father and son who pulled out of doomed Titan trip out of safety concerns”, in CNN

2. A place in the United States:
   1. A ghost town in Otero County, Colorado.
   2. An unincorporated community and township in Ford County, Kansas.
   3. A town in Richland County, Wisconsin.
   4. A number of other townships, including in Illinois, Kansas (2 or 3), Minnesota, Ohio (5), and Pennsylvania, listed under Bloom Township.