sword lily


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sword lily

n. Botany
American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

sword lily

n
(Plants) another name for gladiolus1
[C18: so called because of its sword-shaped leaves]
Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014
ThesaurusAntonymsRelated WordsSynonymsLegend:
Noun1.sword lily - 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 flowerssword lily - 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
iridaceous plant - any bulbous plant of the family Iridaceae
genus Gladiolus - gladiolas
2.sword lily - plants with sword-shaped leaves and erect stalks bearing bright-colored flowers composed of three petals and three drooping sepalssword lily - plants with sword-shaped leaves and erect stalks bearing bright-colored flowers composed of three petals and three drooping sepals
iridaceous plant - any bulbous plant of the family Iridaceae
genus Iris - large genus of perennials that develop from bulbs or rhizomes
bearded iris - any of numerous wild or cultivated irises with hairlike structures on the falls (the drooping sepals)
beardless iris - any of numerous wild or cultivated irises having no hairs on the drooping sepals (the falls)
bulbous iris - any of various irises having a rootstock formed like a bulb
Iris cristata, dwarf iris - low-growing summer-flowering iris of northeastern United States
gladdon, gladdon iris, Iris foetidissima, roast beef plant, stinking gladwyn, stinking iris - iris with purple flowers and foul-smelling leaves; southern and western Europe and North Africa
Iris persica, Persian iris - bulbous iris native to Asia Minor cultivated for its pale lilac-colored flowers
Iris pseudacorus, yellow flag, yellow iris, yellow water flag - common yellow-flowered iris of Europe and North Africa, naturalized in United States and often cultivated
dwarf iris, Iris verna, vernal iris - low-growing spring-flowering American iris with bright blue-lilac flowers
blue flag, Iris versicolor - a common iris of the eastern United States having blue or blue-violet flowers; root formerly used medicinally
Iris virginica, southern blue flag - similar to blue flag; the eastern United States
English iris, Iris xiphioides - bulbous iris native to the Pyrenees; widely cultivated for its large delicate flowers in various colors except yellow
Based on WordNet 3.0, Farlex clipart collection. © 2003-2012 Princeton University, Farlex Inc.
Translations
References in periodicals archive ?
Sword lily, Rose, Carnation, Tuberose, Chrysanthemum, Yucca Elephantipes, Dieffenbachia Amoena, Aglaonema Treubii and Red Willow are among the main ornamental flowers exported from Iran to the above mentioned countries, he concluded.
STUNNING: Low-growing red tulips; BRIGHT: Cyclamen and Aconite; VIOLET: Scillas boast vibrant flowers; GOBLET: Snowdrop and crocus; GLORY: Star-shaped Chionodoxa; GOLDEN: Tete-a-Tete are mini-daffodils; DELICATE: The Sword Lily is the perfect size for a small garden
At that time, the iris was referred to as the 'sword lily,' which was probably a reference to the shape of its strong upright leaves.