blossom

noun blos·som \ ˈblä-səm \

Updated on: 21 May 2018

Definition of blossom

1 a : the flower of a seed plant

apple blossoms

; also : the mass of such flowers on a single plant

b : the state of bearing flowers

2 : a peak period or stage of development

—

blossomy

play \-sə-mē\ adjective

See blossom defined for English-language learners

See blossom defined for kids

Examples of blossom in a Sentence

Her hair smelled of apple blossoms.
in the full blossom of her career as a writer

Recent Examples of blossom from the Web

Initially Asako cannot believe the freakish resemblance, but the couple soon begin a tentative romance which blossoms into suburban domestic bliss.

— stephen dalton, The Hollywood Reporter, "'Asako I & II' ('Netemo sametemo'): Film Review | Cannes 2018," 14 May 2018
On the surrounding grounds, cornflowers, foxglove and lily of the valley will be in full force this month, and the air, even in smoggy London, will be scented with apple blossom.

— joanna pocock, latimes.com, "Romance is in the air at London's green spaces," 13 May 2018
The mood was strikingly different as a detente blossoms ahead of a June 12 summit in Singapore between President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un.

— andrew jeong, WSJ, "As U.S. and North Korea Talk Peace, Soldiers Prepare for the Alternative," 11 May 2018
Seasonal color is delivered by rhododendrons and dogwood blossoms.

— janet eastman, OregonLive.com, "See four private estates during the Dunthorpe Garden Tour (photos)," 9 May 2018
The superstar pair made the most of their time in Japan, taking in the cherry blossoms and sampling local chicken nuggets.

— dave quinn, PEOPLE.com, "Katy Perry Says She's 'Spoken For' and 'Very Happy' — Is She Officially Back with Orlando Bloom?," 24 Apr. 2018
Peak bloom occurs when 70 percent of the trees are in full blossom.

— angela fritz, Washington Post, "The cherry blossoms are speeding toward peak bloom, expected April 5-8," 3 Apr. 2018
The much colder-than-normal March weather has slowed the blooming of the cherry blossoms to a near halt.

— jason samenow, chicagotribune.com, "DC cherry blossoms won't reach peak bloom until around April 10 — 11 days after average bloom," 25 Mar. 2018
Asa is a frontier foodie, adding sweet sap and blossoms to his dishes.

— lawrence downes, New York Times, "A Debut Novel. A Tiny Press. A Pulitzer Finalist.," 2 May 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'blossom.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Origin and Etymology of blossom

Middle English blosme, from Old English blōstm; akin to Old English blōwan

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: before 12th century

in the meaning defined at sense 1a

See Words from the same year

blossom Synonyms

Other Botany Terms

annual, burgeon, chloroplast, nomenclature, succulent, sylvan, xylem

blossom

verb

Definition of blossom

intransitive verb

1 : bloom

2 a : to come into one's own : develop

a blossoming talent

b : to become evident

c : to make an appearance

See blossom defined for English-language learners

Examples of blossom in a Sentence

Their friendship blossomed into romance.
the fruit tree seemed to blossom overnight once the warm spring weather arrived

Recent Examples of blossom from the Web

Their romance blossomed through a peephole in Teresa's front door.

— esmeralda bermudez, latimes.com, "She was the driving force behind one of the largest Latino grocers — and abuelita Tere to 53 grandchildren," 13 May 2018
Rookie Jayson Tatum blossomed with Hayward's scoring gone; Terry Rozier emerged quickly as a legitimate threat when Irving went under the knife in March, and again in April.

— joe vardon, cleveland.com, "From thrown soup to broken legs, Cavaliers and Celtics survived and thrived in chaos to reach Eastern finals," 13 May 2018
Their conversation quickly blossomed into a friendship.

— c.r. walker, Naperville Sun, "Freshman newcomer Michael Baren makes strong bid to be state champion in gymnastics for Neuqua Valley," 10 May 2018
At the same time, an unexpected bromance blossomed — between Rozier and the real Drew Bledsoe.

— scott cacciola, New York Times, "For the Celtics, a Matchup Between Terry Rozier and Ben Simmons Is Paying Off," 4 May 2018
That’s a well-rounded group of prospects capable of upgrading the Hoosiers’ roster at several spots and potentially providing several rotation players who could blossom into quality starters as upperclassmen.

— chris johnson, SI.com, "Winners and Losers of College Basketball's 2018 Recruiting Cycle," 2 May 2018
Clement blossomed into the third-down back after Sproles went down.

— jeff mclane, Philly.com, "Eagles once again eye running backs in NFL draft | Jeff McLane," 20 Apr. 2018
Weeks later, in my pantry at home, a jar of these chilies would abruptly blossom with black moths, hatched from eggs embedded in their flesh.

— junot díaz, The New Yorker, "The Hunt for Mexico’s Heirloom Beans," 17 Apr. 2018
The most unexpected of Twitter friendships blossomed Monday night during the NCAA tournament championship game.

— michelle r. martinelli, For The Win, "How UMBC and Vegas Golden Knights became best friends on Twitter," 3 Apr. 2018

First Known Use of blossom

before 12th century

in the meaning defined at sense 1

See Words from the same year

NEW! Time Traveler

blossom Synonyms

Synonyms

bloom, blow, effloresce, flower, unfold;

Near Antonyms

dry up, fade, shrivel, wilt, wither;

die, drop, expire, perish;

Related Words

leaf, leave;

bud;

open;

Other Botany Terms

annual, burgeon, chloroplast, nomenclature, succulent, sylvan, xylem

BLOSSOM Defined for English Language Learners

blossom

noun

Definition of blossom for English Language Learners

: a flower especially of a fruit tree

blossom

verb

Definition of blossom for English Language Learners

: to produce flowers
: to change, grow, and develop fully

BLOSSOM Defined for Kids

blossom

noun blos·som \ ˈblä-səm \

Definition of blossom for Students

1 : ¹flower 1

cherry blossoms

2 : ¹bloom 2

The tree is in full blossom.

blossom

verb

Definition of blossom for Students

blossomed; blossoming

1 : ²bloom 1

2 : to appear, change, grow, or develop The town blossomed into a city.

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See words that rhyme with blossom Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for blossom Spanish Central: Translation of blossom Nglish: Translation of blossom for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of blossom for Arabic speakers

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blossom

Definition of blossom

blossomy

Examples of blossom in a Sentence

Recent Examples of blossom from the Web

Origin and Etymology of blossom

blossom Synonyms

Synonyms

Near Antonyms

Related Words

Other Botany Terms

blossom

Definition of blossom

Examples of blossom in a Sentence

Recent Examples of blossom from the Web

First Known Use of blossom

blossom Synonyms

Synonyms

Near Antonyms

Related Words

Other Botany Terms

BLOSSOM Defined for English Language Learners

blossom

Definition of blossom for English Language Learners

blossom

Definition of blossom for English Language Learners

BLOSSOM Defined for Kids

blossom

Definition of blossom for Students

blossom

Definition of blossom for Students

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