ˈspāth, -th noun
( -s )
Etymology: New Latin spatha, from Latin, broadsword, from Greek spathē blade — more at spade
: a sheathing bract or pair of bracts subtending or enclosing an inflorescence, exhibiting much variation in form and coloring, and occurring typically in plants whose inflorescence is a spadix or in modified form in many monocotyledonous plants (as the irises)