gladiolus

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UK/ɡlædɪˈəʊləs/US/ɡlædɪˈoʊləs/

noun

The center part of the sternum.

Similar
sword lilygladiolagladcorpus sternum
OriginLatin gladiolus →
UncommonScrabble 11
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Meanings

noungladiolus (plural gladioli or gladioluses)

plural gladioli · plural gladioluses · alternative gladiola · alternative gladiole

  1. anatomyThe center part of the sternum.
  2. Any of several flowering plants, of the genus Gladiolus, having sword-shaped leaves and showy flowers on spikes; gladiola.

    Hester Earle and Violet Wayne were moving about the aisle with bundles of wheat-ears and streamers of ivy, for the harvest thanksgiving was shortly to be celebrated, while the vicar stood waiting for their directions on the chancel steps with a great handful of crimson gladioli.

    1907 January, Harold Bindloss, chapter 20, in The Dust of Conflict, 1st Canadian edition, Toronto, Ont.: McLeod & Allen, →OCLC

    Synonyms: sword lily

Synonyms & antonyms

nounAny of several flowering plants, of the genus Gladiolus, having sword-shaped leaves and showy flowers on spikes; gladiola.

Similar
sword lily

More synonyms by meaning

nounany of numerous plants of the genus Gladiolus native chiefly to tropical and South Africa having sword-shaped leaves and one-sided spikes of brightly colored funnel-shaped flowers; widely cultivated

Similar
gladiolagladsword lily
Broader
iridaceous plant

nounthe large central part of the breastbone

Similar
corpus sternum
Broader
boneos
Also see
gladgladiolasword lily

Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.

Origin

  1. Latingladiolus“little sword, sword lily”
  2. Englishgladiolus

Learned borrowing from Latin gladiolus (“little sword, sword lily”), diminutive of gladius (“sword”). Compare Middle English gladiol, whence gladiole.

More words from Latin

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Ancient Greek μαχαιρόφυλλον, ξίφιον
  • μαχαιρόφυλλον (makhairóphullon)plant
  • ξίφιον (xíphion)plant
Bulgarian гладиола
  • гладиола (gladiola)plant
Catalan gladiol
  • gladiolplant
Chinese Cantonese 劍蘭 /剑兰
  • 劍蘭 /剑兰 (gim³ laan⁴)plant
Chinese Mandarin 劍蘭 /剑兰, 唐菖蒲
  • 劍蘭 /剑兰 (jiànlán)plant
  • 唐菖蒲 (tángchāngpú)plant
Czech mečík
  • mečíkplant
Dutch gladiool, zwaardlelie
  • gladioolplant
  • zwaardlelieplant
Finnish rintalastan runko, miekkalilja
  • rintalastan runkocenter part of the sternum
  • miekkaliljaplant
French glaïeul
  • glaïeulplant
German Gladiole
  • Gladioleplant
Greek γλαδιόλα, γλαδίολος
  • γλαδιόλα (gladióla)plant
  • γλαδίολος (gladíolos)plant
Hungarian kardvirág
  • kardvirágplant
Italian gladiolo
  • gladioloplant
Japanese グラジオラス, 唐菖蒲
  • グラジオラス (gurajiorasu)plant
  • 唐菖蒲 (tōshōbu)plant
  • 阿蘭陀菖蒲 (orandashōbu)plant
Korean 글라디올러스
  • 글라디올러스 (geulladiolleoseu)plant
Latin gladiolus
  • gladiolusplant
Polish mieczyk, gladiola
  • mieczykplant
  • gladiolaplant
Portuguese mesosterno, gladíolo
  • mesosternocenter part of the sternum
  • gladíoloplant
Romanian gladiolă
  • gladiolăplant
Russian гладио́лус, шпа́жник
  • гладио́лус (gladiólus)plant
  • шпа́жник (špážnik)plant
Spanish mesosternón, cuerpo del esternón
  • mesosternóncenter part of the sternum
  • cuerpo del esternóncenter part of the sternum
  • estoqueplant
  • gladioloplant
  • gladíoloplant
Swedish gladiolus
  • gladiolusplant
Ukrainian гладіо́лус, коса́рик
  • гладіо́лус (hladiólus)plant
  • коса́рик (kosáryk)plant
Vietnamese lay ơn
  • lay ơnplant

Rhymes & wordplay

Rhymes with gladiolus

bolusbolasdolus
All rhymes →
Cite this entry
APA

gladiolus. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/gladiolus

MLA

“gladiolus.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/gladiolus. Accessed November 3, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “gladiolus,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/gladiolus.

Source: gladiolus on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.