Gladiolus

2 definitions found

From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 [gcide]:

  Gladiolus \Gla*di"o*lus\, n.; pl. L. {Gladioli}, E.
     {Gladioluses}. [L. See {Gladiole}.]
     [1913 Webster]
     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.
        [1913 Webster]
  
     2. (Anat.) The middle portion of the sternum in some animals;
        the mesosternum.
        [1913 Webster]

From WordNet (r) 2.0 [wn]:

  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)]