John, I am not sure what dictionary you could find the jargo, but in watercolor, when you touch a wet brush full of a darker watercolor paint into a wet piece of paper the effect is called plume. The term is also used by ink artists.
In metallurgy, the firescale caused by oxidation of precious metals are called plumes. Also the mineralization of the acidic pickle used to quench hot metal is referred to as a mineral plume.
And, in lapidary it is a well-know term for... well I posted that above. Google "plume agates."
It is also a term used by painters of automobiles to describe certain types of orange-peel defects in the paint. But, I am not in that field, but I have heard it.
Now, I am not saying that I am
more correct. I am just saying that some people have a different vocabulary. Plume is a word that doesn't seem to confuse people when I have used it to talk about the mineralization of tobacco in the past, so it doesn't seem to confuse anyone. Plus, I have seen others use it. Heck, I really haven't talked about plume/bloom on tobacco till more recently, as I haven't been privy to seeing it much on my young cellar, until recently. So, it couldn't have me that started the use for the term on tobacco.
Just saying... but "bloom" does seem to suggest mold to me. But, I don't correct anyone. As long as it doesn't cause wide-spread confusion or misunderstanding, I say "by whatever name, it still smokes as sweet." :
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