c.1200, a northern word, from O.N.
blomi "flower, blossom," also collectively "flowers and foliage on trees," from P.Gmc.
*blomon (cf. O.S.
blomo, Du.
bloem, Ger.
Blume), from PIE
*bhle- (cf. O.Ir.
blath "blossom, flower," L.
flos "flower,"
florere "to blossom, flourish"), extended form of
*bhel- "to thrive, bloom, sprout" (see
bole). O.E. had cognate
bloma, but only in the fig. sense of "state of greatest beauty;" the main word in O.E. for "flower" was
blostm (see
blossom). Related to O.E.
blowan "to flower" (see
blow (v.2)). British
blooming, slang for "full-blown" (1882), is often euphemistic for
bloody.
[bloom] 