blossom
noun
the flower of a plant, especially of one producing an edible fruit.
blossom
1 American
[blos-uhm]
/ ˈblɒs əm /
noun
Botany.
-
blossoms
plural
-
the flower of a plant, especially of one producing an edible fruit.
-
the state of flowering.
The apple tree is in blossom.
verb (used without object)
-
blossoms,
present (3rd person singular)
-
blossomed,
past participle, past
-
blossoming
present participle
Blossom
2
American
[blos-uhm]
/ ˈblɒs əm /
noun
blossom
British
/ ˈblɒsəm /
noun
-
the flower or flowers of a plant, esp conspicuous flowers producing edible fruit
-
the time or period of flowering (esp in the phrases in blossom, in full blossom )
verb
-
(of plants) to come into flower
-
to develop or come to a promising stage
youth had blossomed into maturity
Usage
What does blossom mean? In botany, a blossom is the flower of a plant, normally in its early stages and often referring to a flower that becomes edible fruit, such as apple and cherry blossoms. In botanical terms, a blossom is a flower that is attached to an edible fruit, such as a tomato blossom, or plant that is known for a product that is not the flower, like a cactus. Blossom also refers to the state of flowering, as in Washington, DC, looks lovely when all the cherry trees are in blossom. To blossom means to produce blossoms. When a plant is blossoming, it has produced flower buds that are in the process of producing petals and opening. Figuratively, to blossom means to flourish or to begin to succeed or develop. If someone tells you that you are blossoming into a good student, they mean you are getting better at your schoolwork or completing your schoolwork. Example: The cherry blossoms unfolding are always the best part of April.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
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blossomingnoun
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outblossomverb (used with object)
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reblossomverb (used without object)
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blossomlessadjective
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blossomyadjective
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unblossomedadjective
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unblossomingadjective
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
-
blossomsimple
-
blossomssimple
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have blossomedperfect
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has blossomedperfect
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am blossomingprogressive
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are blossomingprogressive
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is blossomingprogressive
-
have been blossomingperfect progressive
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has been blossomingperfect progressive
Past
-
blossomedsimple
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had blossomedperfect
-
was blossomingprogressive
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were blossomingprogressive
-
had been blossomingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of blossom
First recorded before 900; Middle English noun blosme, blossem, Old English blōstm(a), blōsma “flower”; cognate with Middle Dutch bloesem, Middle Low German blosem, blossem; see bloom 1, blow 3
Explanation
The flowering part of a plant or tree that will form the seeds or fruit is called a blossom and synonyms include bloom and flower. The noun can also refer to the state of such flowering. You shouldn't miss cherry blossom time in Washington, D.C. As a verb, blossom means to produce flowers. Your favorite time of year may be spring, when all the trees blossom and the air is perfumed with their scent. The verb blossom also means to begin to flourish and develop. If you are a teenager, you might be waiting to blossom and feel confident in your personality and grow into your gangly limbs.
Vocabulary lists containing blossom
The Vernal Vocabulary of Spring
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Words from Shakespearean Insults
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"The Song of Wandering Aengus" by W.B. Yeats
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
"We may be rooted in different realities, but together we rise through cooperation and blossom for humanity," he said.
From Barron's ● Sep. 13, 2026
Instead, she’s tinkering with the idea that Chicago might be her second city, a place where her artistic talents can fully blossom in a smaller market.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 1, 2026
Before you leave, order a coffee — flavors like rose water, pistachio, and orange blossom tahini offer a refreshing finish to the meal.
From Salon ● Jun. 11, 2026
Bottle bio: A medium-bodied wine from Montevideo, Uruguay, with aromas of citrus blossom, grapefruit, white flowers and tropical fruits.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 6, 2026
So too did the tiny insects that crawled upon them: the beetles and wasps, the bees that floated from blossom to blossom.
From "The Girl Who Drew Butterflies: How Maria Merian's Art Changed Science" by Joyce Sidman
The set includes Andy Warhol’s portraits of David Hockney and Aretha Franklin, and Hockney’s “Hawthorne Blossom, Woldgate No. 4,” among other works collectively estimated to fetch more than $35 million.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 8, 2026
The founder and chief executive of AI health startup Blossom was tired of moving around.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 29, 2026
Graphic designer and fellow Blossom contributor Maya Kubota, 28, said that she appreciates people liking Japan and wanting to visit.
From Barron's ● Mar. 24, 2026
The puppies, named Maple, Ash, Chestnut, Acorn and Blossom, are coming on "literally in leaps and bounds", she said.
From BBC ● Jan. 1, 2026
Herold spotted a familiar-looking landmark: Blossom Point, at the mouth of a creek that ran north.
From "Chasing Lincoln's Killer" by James L. Swanson
Our first epiphany came five days in, after we broke camp under cherry blossoms above Cape Muroto, Shikoku’s southeast tip.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 6, 2026
"Cherry blossoms there are in flower now with the main spectacular rhododendron display to follow."
From BBC ● Apr. 19, 2026
Even Troy, who treats Josh well, will complain about soggy squash blossoms from the club kitchen.
From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 16, 2026
Against a backdrop of blooming cherry blossoms, a group of geishas elegantly shuffle onto a stage in Japan's Kyoto city to begin a centuries-old performance celebrating the arrival of spring.
From Barron's ● Apr. 3, 2026
She was carrying her little son, and seeing near the water a lotus tree full of bright blossoms she plucked some of them to please the baby.
From "Mythology: Timeless Tales of Gods and Heroes" by Edith Hamilton
And their romance blossomed in the same place their friendship had years earlier.
From BBC ● Oct. 3, 2026
Bellingham, a teen sensation at Birmingham, followed Sancho's playbook by first moving to Dortmund, where he blossomed into one of the most sought-after midfielders in Europe.
From BBC ● Oct. 1, 2026
What started as a little tailored vintage clothing store on La Brea Avenue blossomed into a billion-dollar company.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 4, 2026
The intervening works offer a survey of how the timid painter in the first work blossomed into the assured artist in the second.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 10, 2026
From son an abundant range of dance and song types blossomed: danzon, rumba, guaguanco, yambu, bossa nova, mambo, chachacha, conga, and eventually salsa.
From "The Story of Music" by Howard Goodall
What begins as an honest account of modern life’s bleak state is distorted alongside Berlant’s malleable expressions, slowly blossoming into something life-affirming, like a diamond among the rubble.
From Salon ● Oct. 16, 2026
Fears that biopiracy might take a chunk out of the blossoming market, meanwhile, have prompted the government to announce a ban on the export of the raw form of the yam.
From Barron's ● Oct. 6, 2026
From the beginning, Mildred vowed that her daughter Veda would have all the things this newly blossoming post-war suburban paradise could offer.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 29, 2026
The blossoming love affair between American fans and global soccer has not gone unrequited.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 5, 2026
There is no camaraderie among the children, no blossoming friendships, no bonding together under hardship.
From "First They Killed My Father: A Daughter of Cambodia Remembers" by Loung Ung
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