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.
This upcoming bloom spotlights a plant nicknamed Odora, who last opened in 2024, and Odorysseus, a rookie public bloomer.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 10, 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
"Now we get a loaf of bread and a cucumber," they calculated, noting that a cucumber costs 100 points and a seeded bloomer costs 150.
From BBC ● May 5, 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
That was one good thing about being a late bloomer.
From "Middlesex: A Novel" by Jeffrey Eugenides
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
To improve your chances of seeing as many planets as possible, Dr Bloomer advises heading to a location with a clear view of the horizon and minimal light pollution.
From BBC ● Feb. 25, 2025
But Bloomer also hopes the atlas will inspire members of the public to get curious about crayfish.
From Science Daily ● Nov. 25, 2024
Bloomer admits most people outside her field don't particularly notice or appreciate crayfish, but she says they're surprisingly charismatic little creatures and are extremely important in their freshwater ecosystems.
From Science Daily ● Nov. 25, 2024
After the lecture, she met with Amelia Bloomer, who wanted to introduce Stanton to Anthony.
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.
