n. [ OE. blosme, blostme, AS. blōsma, blōstma, blossom; akin to D. bloesem, L. fios, and E. flower; from the root of E. blow to blossom. See Blow to blossom, and cf. Bloom a blossom. ] 1. The flower of a plant, or the essential organs of reproduction, with their appendages; florescence; bloom; the flowers of a plant, collectively; as, the blossoms and fruit of a tree; an apple tree in blossom. [ 1913 Webster ]

☞ The term has been applied by some botanists, and is also applied in common usage, to the corolla. It is more commonly used than flower or bloom, when we have reference to the fruit which is to succeed. Thus we use flowers when we speak of plants cultivated for ornament, and bloom in a more general sense, as of flowers in general, or in reference to the beauty of flowers. [ 1913 Webster ]

Blossoms flaunting in the eye of day. Longfellow. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. A blooming period or stage of development; something lovely that gives rich promise. [ 1913 Webster ]

In the blossom of my youth. Massinger. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. The color of a horse that has white hairs intermixed with sorrel and bay hairs; -- otherwise called peach color. [ 1913 Webster ]

In blossom, having the blossoms open; in bloom. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. i. [ imp. & p. p. Blossomed p. pr. & vb. n. Blossoming. ] [ AS. bl&unr_;stmian. See Blossom, n. ] 1. To put forth blossoms or flowers; to bloom; to blow; to flower. [ 1913 Webster ]

The moving whisper of huge trees that branched
And blossomed. Tennyson. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. To flourish and prosper; to develop into a superior type. [ 1913 Webster ]

Israel shall blossom and bud, and full the face of the world with fruit. Isa. xxvii. 6. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. to appear or grow as if by blossoming; to spread out rapidly. [ PJC ]

n. the process of budding and unfolding of blossoms.
Syn. -- flowering, inflorescence, anthesis, efflorescence. [ WordNet 1.5 ]

a. Without blossoms. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. Full of blossoms; flowery. [ 1913 Webster ]

That which blasts a blossom as a canker does. [ Obs. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

O me! you juggler! you canker blossom!
You thief of Love! Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

{ ‖‖ } n. [ Cf. Sp. cerozo a kind of palm tree. ] The name in Central America for the seed of a true palm; also, a commercial name for the true ivory nut. See Ivory nut. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. (Zool.) Of or pertaining to the Crossopterygii. -- n. One of the Crossopterygii. [ 1913 Webster ]

‖n. pl. [ NL., fr. Gr. &unr_;&unr_;&unr_; tassels, a fringe + &unr_;&unr_;&unr_;&unr_;&unr_;, dim. of &unr_;&unr_;&unr_;&unr_; wing, fin. ] (Zool.) An order of ganoid fishes including among living species the bichir (Polypterus). See Brachioganoidei. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. 1. (genetics) the interchange of sections between pairing homologous chromosomes during the prophase of meiosis.
Syn. -- crossing over. [ WordNet 1.5 ]

2. a structure, such as a bridge, bearing a path for crossing over a river or highway. [ PJC ]

3. votes from members of one political party cast for candidates of another party; -- called also crossover vote; as, there was a high crossover in this election. [ PJC ]

4. a member of one political party who votes for a candidate of another party; -- called also crossover voter. [ PJC ]

5. (Plumbing) a U-shaped section of pipe which serves to pass one pipeline over another which is directly in its path. [ PJC ]

v. t. To separate from the bosom. [ R. ] Young. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. t. To cover or adorn with blossoms. [ 1913 Webster ]

On the white emblossomed spray. J. Cunningham. [ 1913 Webster ]

‖n. pl. [ NL., fr. L. fossor&unr_; digger, fr. fodere to dig. ] (Zool.) A group of hymenopterous insects including the sand wasps. They excavate cells in earth, where they deposit their eggs, with the bodies of other insects for the food of the young when hatched. [ Written also Fossoria. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

‖n. pl. [ NL. ] (Zool.) See Fossores. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. [ L. fossor a digger. ] Fitted for digging, adapted for burrowing or digging; as, a fossorial foot; a fossorial animal. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. (Zool.) Adapted for digging; -- said of the legs of certain insects. [ 1913 Webster ]

‖n.[ NL., fr. Gr. &unr_; a kind of case. ] A kind of hoisting winch. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. [ Gr. &unr_; tongue + E. epiglottic. ] (Anat.) Pertaining to both tongue and epiglottis; as, glossoepiglottic folds. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ Gr. &unr_;; &unr_; tongue + &unr_; to write. See 3d Gloss. ] A writer of a glossary; a commentator; a scholiast. Hayward. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. Of or pertaining to glossography. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ See Glossographer. ] The writing of glossaries, glosses, or comments for illustrating an author. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. [ Gr. &unr_; the tongue + the letter &unr_;. ] (Anat.) Pertaining to both the hyoidean arch and the tongue; -- applied to the anterior segment of the hyoidean arch in many fishes. -- n. The glossohyal bone or cartilage; lingual bone; entoglossal bone.

{ ‖ } n. [ NL., fr. Gr. &unr_; tongue + &unr_; talk: cf. F. glossolalie. ] The gift of tongues. Farrar. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. Of or pertaining to glossology. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. One who defines and explains terms; one who is versed in glossology. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ Gr. &unr_; tongue + -logy: cf. F. glossologie. See 3d Gloss. ] 1. The definition and explanation of terms; a glossary. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. The science of language; comparative philology; linguistics; glottology. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. [ Gr. glw^ssa the tongue + E. pharyngeal. ] (Anat.) Pertaining to both the tongue and the pharynx; -- applied especially to the ninth pair of cranial nerves, which are distributed to the pharynx and tongue. -- n. One of the glossopharyngeal nerves. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ Scot. garson an attendant, fr. F. garçon, OF. gars. ] A boy; a servant. [ Ireland ] [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ Gr. &unr_; a young bird + -logy. ] (Zool.) The study of young birds. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. i. To blossom again. [ 1913 Webster ]

See accommodating.
See aching.
See ailing.
See aiming.
See alarming.
See altering.
See appreciating.
See approving.
See aspiring.
See assisting.
See attempting.
See attending.
See bearing.
See befitting.
See beginning.
See believing.
See bleaching.
See bleeding.
See blemishing.
See blenching.
See blossoming.
See blushing.
See boding.
See branching.
See breathing.
See burning.
See calculating.
See ceasing.
See changing.
See charming.
See communicating.
See complaining.
See complying.
See conceiving.
See conducing.
See confessing.
See conniving.
See consenting.
See considering.
See conspiring.
See consulting.
See consuming.
See contending.
See contriving.
See conversing.
See convincing.
See dawning.
See decaying.
See delaying.
See depending.
See derogating.
See deserving.
See desiring.
See despairing.
See detesting.
See deviating.
See differencing.
See discerning.
See discording.
See discriminating.
See disobliging.
See dispensing.
See dissembling.
See dissolving.
See distinguishing.
See distracting.
See disturbing.
See doubting.
See dreading.
See drooping.
See ebbing.
See echoing.
See edifying.
See ending.
See enduring.
See engaging.
See enjoying.
See entering.
See enterprising.
See entertaining.
See envying.
See existing.
See fadging.
See fading.
See fainting.
See faltering.
See fearing.
See feigning.
See fighting.
See fitting.
See flagging.
See flattering.
See flinching.
See folding.
See forbearing.
See foreboding.
See foreseeing.
See forgiving.
See giving.
See grudging.
See harming.
See heeding.
See hesitating.
See hoping.
See hurting.
See importing.
See imposing.
See improving.
See interesting.
See intermitting.
See intoxicating.
See inviting.
See jarring.
See laboring.
See lingering.
See listening.
See loving.
See meddling.
See meriting.
See mistrusting.
See moving.
See murmuring.
See obliging.
See observing.
See offending.
See opening.
See pardoning.
See paying.
See perceiving.
See performing.
See perishing.
See pitying.
See pleasing.
See possessing.
See preaching.
See prepossessing.
See presuming.
See pretending.
See prevailing.
See prevaricating.
See profiting.
See promising.
See proving.
See quailing.
See questioning.
See reasoning.
See recalling.
See reclining.
See recurring.
See referring.
See reflecting.
See refunding.
See refusing.
See rejoicing.
See relaxing.
See relishing.
See remembering.
See repenting.
See repining.
See reproving.
See repulsing.
See resisting.
See resolving.
See resting.
See returning.
See rewarding.
See sanctifying.
See satisfying.
See searching.
See seeing.
See setting.
See shrinking.
See sinking.
See sleeping.
See slipping.
See slumbering.
See speaking.
See stinting.
See stirring.
See stooping.
See submitting.
See sufficing.
See suiting.
See surging.
See suspecting.
See sweating.
See swerving.
See sympathizing.
See tasting.
See thriving.
See tiring.
See toiling.
See trading.
See trembling.
See trespassing.
See trifling.
See vacillating.
See varying.
See walking.
See wandering.
See waning.
See wasting.
See wavering.
See weeping.
See winking.
See winning.
See withdrawing.
See withering.
See wondering.
See working.
See writing.
See yielding.
----- and the like. [ 1913 Webster ]

The above classes of words are unlimited in extent, and such compounds may be formed by any writer or speaker at will from almost all the adjectives or participles in the language, excepting those which have a recognized and usual negative correspondent with the prefix -in. No attempt will be made, therefore, to define them all in this Dictionary; many will be omitted from its Vocabulary which are negations of the simple word, and are readily explained by prefixing a not to the latter. Derivatives of these words in -ly and -ness will also, for the most part, be omitted for the same or similar reasons. [ 1913 Webster ]

There will be inserted as separate articles with definitions, the following: -- [ 1913 Webster ]

1. Those which have acquired an opposed or contrary, instead of a merely negative, meaning; as, unfriendly, ungraceful, unpalatable, unquiet, and the like; or else an intensive sense more than a prefixed not would express; as, unending, unparalleled, undisciplined, undoubted, unsafe, and the like. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. Those which have the value of independent words, inasmuch as the simple words are either not used at all, or are rarely, or at least much less frequently, used; as, unavoidable, unconscionable, undeniable, unspeakable, unprecedented, unruly, and the like; or inasmuch as they are used in a different sense from the usual meaning of the primitive, or especially in one of the significations of the latter; as, unaccountable, unalloyed, unbelieving, unpretending, unreserved, and the like; or inasmuch as they are so frequently and familiarly used that they are hardly felt to be of negative origin; as, uncertain, uneven, and the like. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. Those which are anomalous, provincial, or, for some other reason, not desirable to be used, and are so indicated; as, unpure for impure, unsatisfaction for dissatisfaction, unexpressible for inexpressible, and the like. [ 1913 Webster ]

II. Un- is prefixed to nouns to express the absence of, or the contrary of, that which the noun signifies; as, unbelief, unfaith, unhealth, unrest, untruth, and the like. [ 1913 Webster ]

☞ Compounds of this last class are given in full in their proper order in the Vocabulary. [ 1913 Webster ]