blissom

IPA/blˈɪsəm/
IPA/blˈɪsəm/

blissom — verb

  • blissompresent simple I / you / we / they
  • blissoms3rd person singular
  • blissoming-ing form
  • blissomedpast simple

1. of a male sheep — to mate with a female sheep, completing the act of breeding.

1.動詞及物
釋義

of a male sheep — to mate with a female sheep, completing the act of breeding.

例句

The black-faced ram blissomed the ewe while mist hung over the October fields.

transitive: ram + blissom + ewe

Rodrigo recorded which ewes the prize ram had blissomed during the night.

passive: have + been + blissomed + by + ram

同義詞
  • tup

    the more common farming term for a ram mating with a ewe; 'tup' is still used by British shepherds today

  • cover

    broader term in animal husbandry, used for many livestock species, not specific to sheep

  • mate with

    the general, non-technical term that applies to all animals, lacking the specialised farming tone

文法句型

ram + blissom + ewe

ewe + have been + blissomed + by + ram

用法筆記

Used only of male sheep (rams) and restricted to farming contexts, chiefly in historical or regional British use. The subject must be a ram and the object a ewe or group of ewes. Very rare in modern English.

常見錯誤

❌The bull blissomed the cow.
✅The ram blissomed the ewe.
💡'blissom' is only used for sheep, not cattle or other livestock.
❌The ewe blissomed the lamb.
✅The ram blissomed the ewe.
💡only the male sheep (ram) performs this action, not the female or young.

2. of a female sheep — to become sexually receptive and enter the fertile period wh

2.動詞不及物
釋義

of a female sheep — to become sexually receptive and enter the fertile period when mating with a ram can result in pregnancy.

例句

In late autumn, the two-year-old ewe began to blissom for the first time.

intransitive: ewe + began to + blissom

Adina noticed the ewe was blissoming because it stayed close to the ram's pen.

continuous aspect: was + blissoming

同義詞
  • be in heat

    the standard modern term for a female mammal's fertile period; far more common than 'blissom'

  • be on heat

    the British variant of 'be in heat'; used interchangeably in UK farming

  • cycle

    broader veterinary term referring to the entire oestrus cycle, not just the receptive phase

文法句型

ewe + blissom + time phrase

ewe + start to + blissom

用法筆記

Used only of female sheep (ewes) and is extremely rare in modern English. Describes the ewe's fertile period, which lasts roughly 24 to 36 hours. The subject must be a ewe; never used of other female animals.

常見錯誤

❌The cow is blissoming.
✅The ewe is blissoming.
💡'blissom' is only used for female sheep, not for cattle or other animals.
❌The ewe blissomed the ram.
✅The ewe was blissoming when the ram approached.
💡this sense is intransitive; the ewe does not take an object.