Blossom

Pronunciation

• UK IPA: /ˈblÉ’.sÉ™m/
• US IPA: /ˈblÉ‘.sÉ™m/

Origin

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’, Albanian bleron ("to blossom, thrive") ), from Proto-Indo-European *bʰel- ‘to thrive, bloom’. More at blow.

Alternative forms

• blasom Jamaican English

Full definition of blossom

Noun

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.
3. (figurative) A blooming period or stage of development; something lovely that gives rich promise.
• Massingerin the blossom of my youth
4. The colour of a horse that has white hairs intermixed with sorrel and bay hairs.

Derived terms

Verb

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