gladiolus
UK[ɡləˈdʌɪələs]US[ɡlædˈoʊləs]
n
a plant of the iris family with tall stems and brightly colored flowers shaped like funnels.
n
(anatomy) the central part of the breastbone.
Morpheme Breakdown
gladiol
us
gladiol
small sword
us
noun suffix
Etymology
the word gladiolus is a direct latin loan, originally a diminutive of gladius, meaning "a small sword." this name was applied to the plant due to the sword-like shape of its long, pointed leaves. in anatomical terminology, the same latin root was borrowed to name the gladiolus or body of the sternum, which resembles a short, broad blade. thus, the core semantic thread from ancient latin to modern english is the persistent metaphorical link between the object's form and the concept of a sword or blade.
Analysis
Structure: gladiol (small sword) + us (noun suffix)
gladiol (from latin gladiolus, diminutive of gladius meaning "sword"); us (latin masculine noun suffix).
Examples
a vibrant display of gladiolus lined the garden path.
the gardener staked the tall gladiolus to prevent them from bending in the wind.
the fracture was located in the gladiolus of the sternum.