The plural of gladiolus, referring to multiple plants of the gladiolus genus.
Latin plural form of gladiolus. In scientific and botanical contexts, the original Latin plural was retained in English rather than adding a simple -s. This is common for many plant and animal scientific names.
English speakers often mix up whether to say 'gladiolus' or 'gladioli,' but both are correct—one is a straightforward English plural and one preserves the original Latin plural! It shows how science borrowed Latin words and kept their fancy plural forms.
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