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
Look for creamy white blooming and fragrant marsh Afrikaner (Gladiolus tristis), hot pink Byzantine gladiolus (Gladiolus byzantinus), pearl pink and magenta painted lady gladiolus (Gladiolus carneus) to start.
—
Nan Sterman, San Diego Union-Tribune, 6 July 2025
The spelling bee has grown dramatically over 100 years
For Frank, the word was a type of flower, gladiolus.
—Maggie Menderski, The Courier-Journal, 2 July 2025
Some plants do not perform well with beans, including onions, garlic, gladiolus, and fennel.
—Kim Toscano, Southern Living, 4 Apr. 2025
Growers in chilly climates need to dig up tender bulbs, like dahlias, gladiolus, and ranunculus, in fall and overwinter the bulbs indoors to keep these plants safe from severe cold.
—Lauren Landers, Better Homes & Gardens, 26 Oct. 2024
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Nan Sterman, San Diego Union-Tribune, 6 July 2025
The spelling bee has grown dramatically over 100 years
For Frank, the word was a type of flower, gladiolus.
—Maggie Menderski, The Courier-Journal, 2 July 2025
Some plants do not perform well with beans, including onions, garlic, gladiolus, and fennel.
—Kim Toscano, Southern Living, 4 Apr. 2025
Growers in chilly climates need to dig up tender bulbs, like dahlias, gladiolus, and ranunculus, in fall and overwinter the bulbs indoors to keep these plants safe from severe cold.
—Lauren Landers, Better Homes & Gardens, 26 Oct. 2024
See All Example Sentences for gladiolus
Cite this Entry
“Gladiolus.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/gladiolus. Accessed 9 Sep. 2025.
Copy CitationKids 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
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