an outfit for women, advocated about 1850 by Amelia Jenks Bloomer, consisting of a short skirt, loose trousers gathered and buttoned at the ankle, and often a coat and a wide hat.
(used with a plural verb) bloomers,
loose trousers gathered at the knee, formerly worn by women as part of a gymnasium, riding, or other sports outfit.
women's underpants of similar, but less bulky, design.
the trousers of a bloomer outfit.
any of various women's garments with full-cut legs gathered at the bottom edge.
a plant that blooms.
a night bloomer.
a person who develops skills, abilities, interests, etc., commensurate with their capacities: See late bloomer.
She was a quiet, methodical child who became a late bloomer.
An Americanism dating to 1850–55; named after A.J. Bloomer
First recorded in 1720–30; bloom 1 + -er 1
First recorded in 1885–90; bloom(ing) (as euphemism for bloody ) + -er 1
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Bohm was a late bloomer in high school, growing so fast that he required elbow surgery between his junior and senior years.
From Los Angeles Times ● Mar. 27, 2026
He was a bit of a late bloomer, let's not forget.
From BBC ● Mar. 18, 2026
A 64-year-old late bloomer who arrived in Bloomington with a cocky press conference and group of James Madison transfers, Cignetti delivered swagger, talent and a gift for navigating college football’s turbulent, transfer-happy economy.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jan. 10, 2026
Miner said he has focused on being patient and letting the process play out on being a late bloomer.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jan. 19, 2025
I was fourteen years old, so maybe she thought I was a late bloomer.
From "How Dare the Sun Rise" by Sandra Uwiringiyimana
Inquest proceedings in the UK are looking at the deaths of Mr Lynch and his daughter, as Mr and Mrs Bloomer, who were all British nationals.
From BBC ● May 9, 2025
The 28-year-old trans actress is now publishing a new book, Paper Doll: Notes from a Late Bloomer, which comes out on Tuesday.
From BBC ● Mar. 9, 2025
Bloomer says this spatial scale is meaningful for conservation planning efforts but masks the exact locations where sensitive or imperiled species were found.
From Science Daily ● Nov. 25, 2024
That's why Ion, Bloomer, and their collaborators think the new global crayfish atlas will make a difference.
From Science Daily ● Nov. 25, 2024
Stanton and her neighbor, Amelia Bloomer, copied the design.
From "Votes for Women!" by Winifred Conkling
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
