blossom
UK[ˈblɒsəm]US[ˈblɑːsəm]
n
A flower or a mass of flowers, especially on a fruit tree or bush
v
(of a tree or bush) to produce blossom
v
To develop and become more successful or beautiful
Etymology
The word 'blossom' originates from the Old English 'blōstm' or 'blōstma', meaning 'flower, bloom'. This Old English term is related to the Old Norse 'blōmi' and is part of a wider Germanic family, all stemming from the Proto-Germanic root 'blōsmōn-', 'blōsmaz'. This root is itself derived from the Proto-Indo-European base 'bhel-', meaning 'to thrive, bloom', which also gave rise to words like 'flower', 'blade', and 'bleed' in the sense of 'to bud or sprout'. The semantic journey is direct, from the ancient concept of swelling, budding, and thriving to the specific modern meaning of the flower of a fruit-bearing plant. The verb sense, meaning to mature or flourish, is a natural figurative extension from the process of a bud opening into full bloom.
Analysis
The word 'blossom' is a simplex word derived from Old English 'blōstm', 'blōstma'. It is a Germanic root word, not productively formed from separable modern English morphemes.
Examples
The apple trees are covered in pink and white blossom.
The cherry trees will blossom early this year because of the warm spring.
Their friendship began to blossom during their college years.