I. ˈblüm noun
Etymology: Middle English blome lump of metal, from Old English blōma
Date: before 12th century
1. : a mass of wrought iron from the forge or puddling furnace
2. : a bar of iron or steel hammered or rolled from an ingot
II. noun
Etymology: Middle English blome, from Old Norse blōm; akin to Old English blōwan to blossom — more at blow
Date: 13th century
1.
a. : flower
b. : the flowering state
the roses in bloom
c. : a period of flowering
the spring bloom
d. : a rapid and excessive growth of a plankton population (as of algae or dinoflagellates) — compare red tide
2.
a. : a state or time of beauty, freshness, and vigor
b. : a state or time of high development or achievement
a career in full bloom
3. : a surface coating or appearance: as
a. : a delicate powdery coating on some fruits and leaves
b. : a rosy appearance of the cheeks ; broadly : an outward evidence of freshness or healthy vigor
c. : a cloudiness on a film of varnish or lacquer
d. : a grayish discoloration on chocolate
e. : glare caused by an object reflecting too much light into a television camera
III. verb
Date: 13th century
intransitive verb
1.
a. : to produce or yield flowers
b. : to support abundant plant life
make the desert bloom
2.
a.
(1) : to mature into achievement of one's potential
(2) : to flourish in youthful beauty, freshness, or excellence
b. : to shine out : glow
3. : to appear or occur unexpectedly or in remarkable quantity or degree
4. : to become densely populated with microorganisms and especially plankton — used of bodies of water
transitive verb
1. obsolete : to cause to bloom
2. : to give bloom to