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• bloomer
  bloomer

  noun

  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.
• Bloomer
  Bloomer

  noun

  Amelia Jenks 1818–94, U.S. social reformer and women's-rights leader.

bloomer

¹ American  

[bloo-mer] / ˈblu mər /

noun

1. 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.

2. (used with a plural verb) bloomers,

   1. loose trousers gathered at the knee, formerly worn by women as part of a gymnasium, riding, or other sports outfit.

   2. women's underpants of similar, but less bulky, design.

   3. the trousers of a bloomer outfit.

   4. any of various women's garments with full-cut legs gathered at the bottom edge.

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adjective

1. (of a woman's garment) having full-cut legs gathered at the bottom edge.

   bloomer shorts.

bloomer ² American  

[bloo-mer] / ˈblu mər /

noun

1. a plant that blooms.

   a night bloomer.

2. 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.

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bloomer ³ American  

[bloo-mer] / ˈblu mər /

noun

1. a foolish mistake; blunder.

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Bloomer ⁴ American  

[bloo-mer] / ˈblu mər /

noun

1. Amelia Jenks 1818–94, U.S. social reformer and women's-rights leader.

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bloomer ¹ British  

/ ˈbluːmə /

noun

1. a plant that flowers, esp in a specified way

   a night bloomer

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bloomer ² British  

/ ˈbluːmə /

noun

1. informal a stupid mistake; blunder

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bloomer ³ British  

/ ˈbluːmə /

noun

1. a medium-sized loaf, baked on the sole of the oven, glazed and notched on top

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Etymology

Origin of bloomer¹

An Americanism dating to 1850–55; named after A.J. Bloomer

Origin of bloomer²

First recorded in 1720–30; bloom ¹ + -er ¹

Origin of bloomer³

First recorded in 1885–90; bloom(ing) (as euphemism for bloody ) + -er ¹

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

bloomer Bloomer

His nephew, Mike Lindsay, a former football and basketball player at Bishop Alemany who was considered a late bloomer to football, was starting at cornerback for San Diego State.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 14, 2026

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

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

Yet the 29-year-old appears to be a relative late bloomer rather than someone entering the twilight of his career.

From BBC ● Sep. 11, 2025

Shortly afterward, Harriet had someone write a letter to Franklin B. Sanborn in Boston, asking for a bloomer dress because long skirts were a handicap on an expedition.

From "Harriet Tubman: Conductor on the Underground Railroad" by Ann Petry

Thanks to the artistry and captainship of Paddy Bloomer the vehicle has been turned into a boat and is making its way on a journey along the River Bann.

From BBC ● Aug. 18, 2026

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

Dr Edward Bloomer, astronomer at the Royal Observatory Greenwich said: "There's a rare opportunity to have seven planets in essentially a convenient place for you to look for them."

From BBC ● Feb. 25, 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

Then his rolling gait retreated into the fog as the great red Bloomer engine huffed into the station, billowing steam.

From "The Interrupted Tale" by Maryrose Wood