Bloomer

Part of speech: noun

Pronunciation: /ˈbluː.mə(ɹ)/

Definitions

1. Loose, baggy trousers traditionally worn by women in the 19th century ; a noticeable error or blunder often made by someone inexperienced ; a plant's blossom during its opening stage
2. A style of wide, gathered pants historically part of women's fashion ; an inadvertent slip or fault in action or speech ; the flowering of a plant as its petals open
3. Clothing consisting of roomy pants associated with early women's dress reform ; a youthful or amateurish mistake ; the process of a flower unfolding and becoming visible in nature

Etymology: The most surprising thing about this word is that the clothing sense is named after a person, while the other senses share a source with an ingot. Amelia Bloomer (1818–1894) was an American women's-rights activist and newspaper editor who championed a style of loose trousers gathered at the ankle, worn under a short skirt, as a more practical alternative to the restrictive dress of her day. The garment became known by her name, and "bloomers" came to mean the outfit itself. The other senses are older and have nothing to do with Amelia Bloomer. The word traces back to Middle English "blomer", a worker who handled "blome", an iron ingot, which in turn is the source of modern English "bloom". From the Old English "blōma", "bloom" came to mean the flowering of a plant, and "bloomer" in that sense is simply the thing that blooms, while the sense of an inadvertent slip is a later, more figurative extension.

Synonyms: flower, bloom, blossom, bud, sprout