bloom
- 01 B2 Upper Intermediate
n.a single flower on a plant, especially one that has just opened.
n.a blossom or the flower of a plant, particularly when fully expanded from a bud.
Simple“The cherry tree was covered in delicate pink blooms after the warm weekend.”
In context“The botanist noted that the rare orchid produced only a single bloom every three years under these specific greenhouse conditions.”
- 02 B2 Upper Intermediate
n.the time or state when a plant has its flowers open.
n.the state or period of flowering or blossoming.
Simple“The garden is in full bloom during the month of May.”
In context“The valley was in peak bloom, attracting thousands of tourists eager to photograph the vast carpets of wildflowers.”
Synonymsfloweringefflorescence - 03 C1 Advanced
n.a healthy, glowing look on someone's face or skin.
n.a state of beauty, freshness, or vigour; often refers to the rosy flush on a person's cheek.
Simple“The fresh mountain air brought a healthy bloom to her cheeks.”
In context“Despite the long journey, she retained a youthful bloom that made her appear much younger than her peers.”
- 04 C2 Proficiency
n.the thin, waxy or powdery coating found on the surface of some fruits like grapes.
n.a delicate, powdery or waxy coating on certain fruits, leaves, or chocolate.
Simple“Be careful not to rub the natural bloom off the grapes while washing them.”
In context“The presence of fat bloom on the chocolate bar indicated that it had been stored in a fluctuating temperature environment.”
- 05 B2 Upper Intermediate
v.when a plant produces flowers and they open.
v.to produce flowers; to open into a blossom.
Simple“These roses usually bloom in early summer and last for several weeks.”
In context“The desert flora began to bloom rapidly following the unexpected torrential rains in late spring.”
- 06 B2 Upper Intermediate
v.to grow or develop in a healthy and successful way.
v.to flourish or thrive; to develop into a state of beauty or excellence.
Simple“Their friendship bloomed during the long summer they spent working together.”
In context“The small tech startup bloomed into a multi-million dollar enterprise within just three years of its initial public offering.”
- 07 C1 Advanced
v.to heat spices in oil or soak gelatin in water to bring out their best qualities.
v.to hydrate dry ingredients or fry spices in fat to release aromatic oils and enhance flavour.
Simple“You should bloom the spices in hot oil for a minute before adding the vegetables.”
In context“The recipe requires you to bloom the gelatin in cold water for five minutes to ensure a smooth texture in the final panna cotta.”
- 08 C1 Advanced
n.a glowing light effect around bright objects on a screen.
n.a visual artifact or intentional effect where light from bright objects bleeds into darker surrounding areas.
Simple“The game uses a bloom effect to make the sunlight look more realistic.”
In context“Excessive bloom in the monitor's display can obscure fine details in high-contrast scenes, particularly in dark horror games.”
“Those ideas bloomed into a full album, Lost in Another World.”
“Then I put it in a dark corner of a warm closet and waited for it to bloom.”
English and Jewish surname converged from several origins: * Middle English blom (“ingot”), from Old English blōma (“lump of iron”) * Swedish Blom * Dutch Bloem, see bloem (“flower”) * Spelling variant of Blum
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.