/ ˌglædiˈəʊləs; NAmE -ˈoʊləs/ noun
( pl. gladi·oli / -laɪ; NAmE /) a tall garden plant with long thin leaves and brightly coloured flowers growing up the stem
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WORD ORIGIN
Old English (originally denoting the gladdon, a purple-flowered iris), from Latin , diminutive of gladius sword (used as a plant name by Pliny).