Illustration of gladiolus
- gladiolus 1
gladiolus
noun
glad·i·o·lus
ˌgla-dē-ˈō-ləs 
plural gladioli
ˌgla-dē-ˈō-(ˌ)lē
-ˌlī
-ˌlī
1
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
Examples of gladiolus in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
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
Bulbs: African lily, agapanthus, amaryllis, anemone, bulbine, calla, crinum, day lily, gingers, gladiolus, pineapple lily, rain lily, society garlic, spider lilies, walking iris, watsonia.
—Tom MacCubbin, Orlando Sentinel, 1 Oct. 2022
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
Bulbs: African lily, agapanthus, amaryllis, anemone, bulbine, calla, crinum, day lily, gingers, gladiolus, pineapple lily, rain lily, society garlic, spider lilies, walking iris, watsonia.
—Tom MacCubbin, Orlando Sentinel, 1 Oct. 2022
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
First Known Use
15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1
Time Traveler
The first known use of gladiolus was
in the 15th century
Articles Related to gladiolus
Dictionary Entries Near gladiolus
Cite this Entry
“Gladiolus.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/gladiolus. Accessed 16 Apr. 2024.
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Kids Definition
gladiolus
noun
glad·i·o·lus
ˌglad-ē-ˈō-ləs
plural gladioli
-ˈō-(ˌ)lē
-ˈō-ˌlī
or gladiolus also gladioluses
: any of a genus of chiefly African plants related to the irises and having erect sword-shaped leaves and stalks of brilliantly colored flowers
Etymology
from Latin gladiolus, literally, "little sword," from gladius "sword" — related to gladiator
Medical Definition
gladiolus
noun
glad·i·o·lus
ˌglad-ē-ˈō-ləs
: the large middle portion of the sternum lying between the upper manubrium and the lower xiphoid process
called also mesosternum
More from Merriam-Webster on gladiolus
Nglish: Translation of gladiolus for Spanish Speakers
Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about gladiolus
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