Gla·di·o·lus n.; pl. L. Gladioli E. Gladioluses
1. Bot. A genus of plants having bulbous roots and gladiate leaves, and including many species, some of which are cultivated and valued for the beauty of their flowers; the corn flag; the sword lily.
2. Anat. The middle portion of the sternum in some animals; the mesosternum.
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gladiolus
n 1: any 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 [syn: gladiola, sword lily]
2: the large central part of the breastbone [syn: corpus
sternum]
[also: gladioli (pl)]