bloom¹ (blūm)
n.

1. 1. The flower of a plant.
   2. Something resembling the flower of a plant: "Her hair was caught all to one side in a great bloom of frizz" (Anne Tyler).
2. 1. The condition of being in flower: a rose in full bloom.
   2. A condition or time of vigor, freshness, and beauty; prime: "the radiant bloom of Greek genius" (Edith Hamilton).
3. A fresh, rosy complexion: "She was short, plump, and fair, with a fine bloom" (Jane Austen).
4. 1. A waxy or powdery whitish to bluish coating on the surface of certain plant parts, as on cabbage leaves or on a plum or grape.
   2. A similar coating, as on newly minted coins.
   3. Grayish blotches or streaks on the surface of chocolate produced by the formation of cocoa butter crystals.
   4. Chemistry. See efflorescence (sense ).
5. Glare that is caused by a shiny object reflecting too much light into a television camera.
6. A visible, colored area on the surface of bodies of water caused by excessive planktonic growth.

v., bloomed, bloom·ing, blooms.

v.intr.

1. 1. To bear a flower or flowers.
   2. To support plant life in abundance: rains that made the yard bloom.
2. To shine; glow.
3. To grow or flourish with youth and vigor.
4. To appear or expand suddenly: White vapor bloomed from the side of the rocket's fuel tank.

v.tr.

1. To cause to flourish.
2. Obsolete. To cause to flower.

[Middle English blom, from Old Norse blōm.]

bloomy bloom'y adj.

SYNONYMS   bloom, blossom, efflorescence, florescence, flower, flush, prime. These nouns denote a condition or time of greatest vigor and freshness: beauty in full bloom; the blossom of a great romance; the efflorescence of humanitarianism; the florescence of Greek civilization; in the flower of youthful enthusiasm; in the flush of their success; the prime of life.

bloom² (blūm)
n.

1. A bar of steel prepared for rolling.
2. A mass of wrought iron ready for further working.

[Middle English blome, lump of metal, from Old English blōma.]

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The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition Copyright © 2007, 2000 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Updated in 2009. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.

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