or plural gladiolus also gladioluses: any of a genus (Gladiolus) of chiefly African perennial plants of the iris family with erect sword-shaped leaves and spikes of brilliantly colored irregular flowers arising from corms
2
: the large middle portion of the sternum
Illustration of gladiolus
gladiolus 1
Examples of gladiolus in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the WebGarden roses and gladiolus close out the list as other flowers perfect to present a mom on the special day celebrating her.—Nicholas Rice, Peoplemag, 11 May 2024 In the mid 1960s, Edwin Frazee moved his ranunculus and gladiolus to the current location on land owned by the Ecke Family, where the Eckes had been growing their famed poinsettias.—Linda McIntosh, San Diego Union-Tribune, 26 Feb. 2024 An image of gladiolus feels like a set of musical variations teased out of a single line, as if the artist has challenged herself to solve some pictorial puzzle without lifting pen from paper.—Philip Kennicott, Washington Post, 27 Oct. 2023 The bride walked down the aisle while carrying a bouquet of gladiolus as an ode to her maternal grandmother.—Elise Taylor, Vogue, 26 July 2023 In ancient Rome, crowds would shower the winners of gladiatorial contests with stems of gladiolus.—Kate McGregor, House Beautiful, 12 June 2022 The gladiolus and poppy also represent those born in August.—Olivia Munson, USA TODAY, 24 July 2023 Abyssinian Gladiolus Now 30% Off $7 at gurneys.com This gladiolus variety smells most potent after dusk.—Molly Miller, housebeautiful.com, 8 June 2023 What began decades ago as a celebration of South Florida’s agricultural and horticultural resources — namely the vibrant gladiolus flower — has grown to feature artisans selling works of all types.—Kari Barnett, Sun Sentinel, 12 Apr. 2023
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'gladiolus.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Word History
Etymology
New Latin, from Latin, gladiolus, from diminutive of gladius
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