Emily Dickinson Lexicon

BLOS'SOM, n. [Sax. blosm, blosma, blostm, blostma, and blosan, a blossom; blosmian, blostmian, to blossom; D. bloessem, a blossom; G. blüthe, a blossom; allied perhaps to G. bloss, Dan. blot, naked; G. blössen, Dan. blotter, to uncover; W. bloden, a flower, blodeuaw, to blossom, from blawd, meal, bloom; Gr. βλαστημα, a bud, probably from the same root; Syr. ܒܠܨ blas, to germinate, to flourish, to put forth leaves.]

1. The flower or corol of a plant; a general term, applicable to every species of tree or plant, but more generally used than flower or bloom, when we have reference to the fruit which is to succeed. Thus we use flowers, when we speak of shrubs cultivated for ornament; and bloom, in a more general sense, as flowers in general, or in reference to the beauty of flowers.
2. This word is used to denote the color of a horse, that has his hair white, but intermixed with sorrel and bay hairs; otherwise, peach-colored. – Encyc.