bosom
/ˈbʊz(ə)m/noun, adjective, verb
bosom is spelled B-O-S-O-M: 5 letters and 2 syllables. It appears 1.1 times per million words in written English, the 27,150th most frequent word form (wordfreq, 2021 data). As a noun, bosom means “The breast or chest of a human (or sometimes of another animal)” (English Wiktionary, September 2026). The plural of bosom is bosoms.
How many letters and syllables are in bosom?
| Letters | 5: B-O-S-O-M |
|---|---|
| Syllables | 2 (from its American pronunciation) |
| In writing | 1.1 times per million words; the 27,150th most frequent word form |
| Wrong spellings searched | none measured in search |
Sources: letters and syllables from the English Wiktionary's hyphenation or pronunciation and the CMU Pronouncing Dictionary; written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).
How common is bosom?
Bosom appears 1.1 times per million words in written English, the 27,150th most frequent word form in the list.
Source: written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).
How do you pronounce bosom?
- US /ˈbʊz(ə)m/
- US /ˈbʌz(ə)m/
Bosom has 2 syllables (counted from its American pronunciation in the CMU Pronouncing Dictionary).
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Recordings: En-us-bosom.ogg, Wikimedia Commons (author and licence on each file's page).
Forms of bosom
- bosoms plural, present, singular, he/she/it
- bosoming participle, present
- bosomed participle, past
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
What does bosom mean?
The meanings the English Wiktionary records, quoted as written there (source below).
noun
- 1
datedThe breast or chest of a human (or sometimes of another animal).
- 2
The seat of one's inner thoughts, feelings, etc.; one's secret feelings; desire.
- 3
The protected interior or inner part of something; the area enclosed as by an embrace.
- 4
The part of a dress etc. covering the chest; a neckline.
- 5
A breast, one of a woman's breasts
- 6
Any thing or place resembling the breast; a supporting surface; an inner recess; the interior.
- 7
A depression round the eye of a millstone.
adjective
- 1
In a very close relationship.
bosom buddies
verb
- 1
To enclose or carry in the bosom; to keep with care; to take to heart; to cherish.
- 2
To conceal; to hide from view; to embosom.
- 3
To belly; to billow, swell or bulge.
- 4
To belly; to cause to billow, swell or bulge.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
Bosom in Spanish, French, German and Portuguese
| Language | Words |
|---|---|
| French | sein , intime |
| German | Busen , Brust |
| Portuguese | seio |
| Spanish | seno, pechera, busto , tetaje, tetamen, pechamen |
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Translations are Wiktionary's, by sense; a linked word has its own PlainSpell page.
Where does bosom come from?
From Middle English bosom, bosum, from Old English bōsm, from Proto-West Germanic *bōsm, from Proto-Germanic *bōsmaz, from Proto-Indo-European *bʰewH- (“to swell, bend, curve”). Cognate with Saterland Frisian Bossem, Bousem (“bosom”), West Frisian boezem (“bosom”), Dutch boezem (“bosom”), German Busen (“bosom”). Related also to Albanian buzë (“lip”), Greek βυζί (vyzí, “breast”), Romanian buză (“lip”), Irish bus (“lip”), and Latin bucca (“cheek”).
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).