orange blossom
Preserved but no longer current.
The conventional decora- tion, for the bride at a wedding, introduced as a custom into England from France about 1820. The orange is said to indicate the hope of fruitfulness, as few trees are more prolific, while the -white blossoms are symbolical of innocence.
Era: ca. 1898 (Victorian)
Sources & notes
Reproduced from Brewer’s Dictionary of Phrase and Fable (1898 edition, public domain; archive.org, retrieved 2026-07-31; OCR text, minor errors possible). Reflects the scholarship and attitudes of its era.
Common questions
What does “orange blossom” mean?
The conventional decora- tion, for the bride at a wedding, introduced as a custom into England from France about 1820. The orange is said to indicate the hope of fruitfulness, as few trees are more prolific, while the -white blossoms are symbolical of innocence.
Is “orange blossom” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.