Forms: 3–4 blom, 3–6 blome, 4–6 Sc. blwme, 6 bloume, Sc. blume, 6–7 bloome, 7– bloom. [ME. blom, blome, only northern (or north. midl.); a. ON. blóm neut. ‘a flower, bloom, blossom,’ and blómi masc. ‘bloom, prosperity,’ pl. ‘flowers, blossoms,’ the latter = OS. blômo masc. (MDu. bloeme, Du. bloem fem.), OHG. bluomo masc., bluoma fem. (MHG. bluome masc. and fem., mod.G. blume fem.), Goth. blôma m.:—OTeut. *blômon- m., from the vb. stem *blō- ‘blow,’ with the suffix -mon- of nouns of action. The OE. blôma (masc.), in form the same word, had only the sense of BLOOM sb.2, the sense ‘flower’ being expressed by blóstm, blóstma, blósma, BLOSSOM.]
1. The blossom or flower of a plant. (Not extended like ‘flower’ to a whole ‘flowering plant,’ and expressing a more delicate notion than ‘blossom,’ which is more commonly florescence bearing promise of fruit, while ‘bloom’ is florescence thought of as the culminating beauty of the plant. Cherry trees are said to be in blossom, hyacinths in bloom.)
c. 1200. Ormin, 10773. Nazaræþ bitacneþþ uss Onn Ennglissh brodd and blome.
c. 1325. E. E. Allit. P., B. 1467. Alle þe blomes of þe boȝes were blyknande perles.
1375. Barbour, Bruce, V. 10. The treis begouth to ma Burgconys and brycht blwmys alsua.
c. 1440. Promp. Parv., 40. Blome flowre, flos.
1526. Pilgr. Perf. (W. de W., 1531), 296. The fruytes of the holy goost … be more lyke … to be called blomes and floures than fruytes.
1570. Sempill Ballates (1872), 77. Thou grene Roismary hyde thy heid, Schaw not thy fair blew blumis.
1667. Milton, P. L., V. 25. How the Bee Sits on the Bloom extracting liquid sweet.
1697. Dryden, Virg. Georg., I. 273. If od’rous Blooms the bearing Branches load.
1770. Goldsm., Des. Vill., 4. Parting summer’s ling’ring blooms.
1882. Bazaar, 15 Feb., 173. To preserve cut blooms for some length of time.
† b. (fig.) To bear the bloom: to flourish. Obs.
c. 1330. R. Brunne, Chron., 322. Þei were born in Rome alle þe Columpneis, Þat kynde bare þe blome, riche men & curteis.
c. collect. Blossom, flowers, florescence.
a. 1300. Cursor M., 9328. Þe wand bar lef and frut and blom.
a. 1400. Sir Isumb., 176. Playe the with the blome.
1667. Milton, P. L., III. 43. Not to me returns Day, or the sweet approach of Ev’n or Morn, Or sight of vernal bloom.
1821. Shelley, Prometh. Unb., I. 840. The yellow bees in the ivy-bloom.
1878. Gilder, Poet & Master, 14. Not yet the orchard lifted Its cloudy bloom to the sky.
d. In bloom: in flower, flowering, blossoming.
1644. Fary, God’s Severity (1645), 8. Blossomes that be all in a bloome, as we say.
1735. Oldys, Life Ralegh, Wks. 1829, I. 383. He received triumphant applauses in his overthrow, like some flowers which are sweeter in their fall, than others in their bloom.
1820. W. Irving, Sketch Bk., I. 182. It was the month of May, when every thing was in bloom.
1864. Tennyson, Islet, 32. For the bud ever breaks into bloomn on the tree.
e. transf. of persons. Cf. ‘flower.’
a. 1300. Havelok, 63. He was Engelondes blome.
c. 1460. Towneley Myst. 81. Welcom, Mary, blyssed blome.
c. 1750. Shenstone, Elegies, iv. 32. The frailty of so fair a bloom.
1871. R. Ellis, Catullus, lxiv. 4. A chosen array, rare bloom of valorous Argos.
2. fig. State of greatest beauty or loveliness, most flourishing condition or season, prime, perfection.
c. 1325. E. E. Allit. P., A. 577. More haf I of ioye & blysse here-inne, Of ladyschyp gret & lyuez blom.
1599. Shaks., Much Ado, V. i. 76. Despight … His Maie of youth, and bloome of lustihood.
1711. Addison, Spect., No. 164, ¶ 3. While her Beauty was yet in all its Height and Bloom.
1742. Pope, Dunciad, IV. 513. Poor W., nipp’d in folly’s broadest bloom, Who praises now?
1850. Leitch, trans. Müller’s Anc. Art, § 159. The real bloom of this art was past when the Romans conquered the East.
1875. Hamerton, Intell. Life, VI. i. (1876), 195. The bloom of perfect manhood.
3. The crimson tint of the cheek; flush, glow. Also fig.
1752. Fielding, Amelia, Wks. 1775, X. 136. Miss Bath had not only recovered her health but her bloom.
1793. T. Beddoes, Consumption, 117. That vermilion bloom, which … is the harbinger or attendant of an incurable disease.
1847. Tennyson, Princess, IV. 364. Over brow And cheek and bosom brake the wrathful bloom.
1879. Farrar, St. Paul (1883), 332. Those simple, faithful natures which combine the glow of courage with the bloom of modesty.
b. gen. Suffusion of glowing color over a surface.
1832. L. Hunt, Sir R. Esher (1850), 142. The colours of the awnings over head struck down a bloom over the whole scene.
4. The delicate powdery deposit on fruits like the grape, plum, etc., when fresh-gathered, and on certain plant-leaves. (So called perh. from prec.)
[Cf. Song. Meet me in the evening when the bloom is on the rye.]
a. 1639. [see BLOOMY a.1 3.]
1678. [see Bloom-coloured in 7].
1755. Johnson, Bloom, the blue colour upon plums and grapes newly gathered.
1860. Delamer, Kitch. Gard. (1861), 156. Tying grapes in muslin bags assists their ripening…. The pity is, that the taking them off spoils the bloom.
1882. Vines, Sachs’ Bot., 99. Very frequently the wax extends … over the cuticle … constituting the so-called ‘bloom’ on fruits and some leaves.
1882. P. Fitzgerald, Recreat. Lit. Man, II. 4. And before the end of those weary hours the bloom is off the rye—he is stale and stupid.
b. fig. Freshness, delicate charm or beauty. To take the bloom off (a thing): to deprive it of its first freshness or beauty.
1777. Johnson, in Boswell (1831), I. 159. It [the Plan of Dictionary] would have come out with more bloom if it had not been seen before by any body.
1859. Helps, Friends in C., Ser. II. I. 182. The bloom of his regard would be rubbed off.
c. In various spec. senses, e.g., The yellowish deposit on well-tanned leather, the powdery appearance on newly struck coins, the fluorescence exhibited by petroleum, etc. Cf. BLOOMING vbl. sb.1 2.
1842. Penny Cycl., XXIV. 38/2. This bloom [on leather] consists of the finer portion of the gelatin from the interior of the skin.
1882. Pharmaceut. Jrnl., 343. Petroleum having a bloom or fluorescence.
1884. Times, 1 March. The ‘bloom’ on the wall … around the actual spot of the explosion, was sufficient to show that the material used was not gunpowder.
1885. Eng. Mech., 20 Feb., 532. Until the bud is covered with ‘bloom,’ or the so-called ellagic acid.
1885. Cornh. Mag., March, 281. That coating of indigo and gypsum which imparts [to tea leaves] the bloom so highly prized in the European market.
5. A fine variety of raisin.
1841. Penny Cycl., XIX. 274/1. Different kinds of raisins are distinguished … as muscatels, blooms, sultanas.
1875. Ure, Dict. Arts, III. 692. These are muscatels or blooms.
6. Used attributively to denote a certain appearance or state assumed by sugar in the process of clarifying and refining.
1825. S. & S. Adams, Compl. Servant, 113. It may then be boiled to any degree you please, as smooth, bloom, feathered, crackled, and caramel.
7. Comb. and Attrib., as bloom-colo(u)r, -flinder, -hour, -stem; bloom-bright, -colo(u)red, etc., adjs. Also bloom-fell, a plant; according to Britten and Holland, Lotus corniculatus.
1833. Tennyson, Hesperides. A slope That ran *bloom-bright into the Atlantic blue.
1797–1804. Bewick, Brit. Birds, I. 112. The breast, belly and sides are of a fine pale rose or *bloom colour.
1678. Lond. Gaz., No. 1273/4. The Hood lined with *bloom-coloured Silk.
1799–1824. Prize Ess., in Highl. Soc. Trans., III. 524 (Jam.). Ling, deer-hair, and *bloom-fell, are also scarce.
1840. Browning, Sordello, III. 345. Her ivory limbs are smothered by a fall, *Bloom-flinders, and fruit-sparkles, and leaf-dust.
1850. Lynch, Theo. Trin., xi. 208. The maiden … in the *bloom-hour of her life.
