blossom
pronunciation
How to pronounce blossom in British English:
UK [ˈblɒsəm]
How to pronounce blossom in American English:
US [ˈblɑːsəm]
-
- Noun:
- reproductive organ of angiosperm plants especially one having showy or colorful parts
- the period of greatest prosperity or productivity
-
- Verb:
- produce or yield flowers
- develop or come to a promising stage
Word Origin
- blossom
- blossom: [OE] Blossom probably comes ultimately from an Indo-European base *bhlōs-, which was also the source of Latin flōs, from which English gets flower. It seems reasonable to suppose, in view of the semantic connections, that this *bhlōs- was an extended form of *bhlō-, from which English gets blade, bloom, and the now archaic verb blow ‘come into flower’.=> blade, bloom, blow, flower
- blossom (n.)
- c. 1200, from Old English blostm, blostma "blossom, flower, fruit," from Proto-Germanic *blo-s- (cognates: Middle Low German blosom, Dutch bloesem, German Blust), from PIE *bhlow-, extended form of *bhel- (3) "to thrive, bloom" (see folio). This is the native word, now largely superseded by bloom (n.1) and flower (n.).
- blossom (v.)
- late 14c., from Old English blostmian, from blostma "blossom, flower" (see blossom (n.)). Figurative use from late 14c. Related: Blossomed; blossoming.
Example
- 1. Iraq may blossom into a democracy one day but is not yet peaceful .
- 2. We nearly eradicated this sweet pea last year , then it began to blossom
- 3. Because the trees blossom at certain temperatures scientists can infer historical weather information and ultimately climate trends from these dates .
- 4. I grudge every marriage in that it means a fresh supply of orange blossom , the promise of so much golden fruit cut short .
- 5. The more we sensitize ourselves to the subtle ways that we have hurt our partners , the more we enable our feelings of love to blossom .