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blos·som

(blŏsəm)

1. A flower or cluster of flowers.

2. The condition or time of flowering: peach trees in blossom.

3. A condition or period of maximum development. See Synonyms at bloom¹.

intr.v. blos·somed, blos·som·ing, blos·soms

1. To come into flower; bloom.

2. To develop; flourish: The child blossomed into a beauty.

[Middle English, from Old English blōstm; see bhel-³ in the Appendix of Indo-European roots.]

blossom·y adj.

Indo-European & Semitic Roots Appendices

Thousands of entries in the dictionary include etymologies that trace their origins back to reconstructed proto-languages. You can obtain more information about these forms in our online appendices:

Indo-European Roots

Semitic Roots

The Indo-European appendix covers nearly half of the Indo-European roots that have left their mark on English words. A more complete treatment of Indo-European roots and the English words derived from them is available in our Dictionary of Indo-European Roots.

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