To bloom is for a flower to open up and show its petals, or for something or someone to grow and develop in a beautiful or successful way.
It comes from Middle English “blome,” related to Old Norse “blóm,” meaning “flower.” The word has long been used for both literal flowers and the flourishing of people and ideas.
We borrow this plant word for people: a teenager can “bloom,” or a friendship can “come into full bloom.” That image makes growth feel natural and gentle, as if success were a kind of flowering.
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