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.
Deniz Undav is Germany’s unstoppable late bloomer, who scores more frequently than Lionel Messi and Kylian Mbappé.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 30, 2026
Davis, 40, is a self-described late bloomer in the skincare industry.
From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 5, 2025
Toney has, however, been a bit of a late bloomer.
From BBC • Jun. 4, 2025
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
Edlefsen was a late bloomer, six years older than Ernest yet still only a teaching assistant.
From "Big Science" by Michael Hiltzik
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.
