bloom

The state of a plant having open flowers.

• The roses are in bloom.
• Spring brought the trees into bloom.
• We visited the garden at the height of its bloom.

How to use it: be in bloom (The apple trees are in bloom.); come into bloom (These roses come into bloom in June.)

Similar words: flowering, blossoming

Common phrases: in bloom, full bloom, come into bloom

A flower that has opened.

• A pink bloom opened today.
• She cut three blooms for the vase.
• These plants produce bright blooms all summer.

Similar words: flower, blossom

Common phrases: rose bloom, beautiful bloom, single bloom

A time or state of fresh beauty, health, or strength.

• Her cheeks had the bloom of health.
• He remembered her in the bloom of youth.
• Their friendship had lost its early bloom.

Similar words: freshness, prime

Common phrases: bloom of youth, bloom of health, lose its bloom

A brightly coloured form of a mineral.

• The rock carries pink cobalt bloom.
• Nickel bloom covered part of the sample.
• She identified the bright mineral as cobalt bloom.

Common phrases: cobalt bloom, nickel bloom

If a flower does this, it opens; other things can gradually open or spread in a similar way.

• The roses bloom in June.
• Purple flowers bloomed across the hillside.
• Colour slowly bloomed across the wet paper.

How to use it: bloom into something (The tiny buds bloomed into bright flowers.)

Similar words: flower, blossom, open

Opposites: wither

Common phrases: bloom in spring, bloom into something, flowers bloom