Definition of shibboleth for English Language Learners. : 1  an old idea, opinion, or saying that is commonly believed and repeated but that may be seen as old-fashioned or untrue. : 2  a word or way of speaking or behaving which shows that a person belongs to a particular group.
An open space in a wood or forest. âa forest gladeâ. âglades of birchâ. âOur track took us first over smooth grassy flats, then through glades of beech forest so typical of this country.â. âOthers awaited Richard II on the battlements of Chester Castle, or in a glade of Sandiway Forest.â.
The noun sere also exists, though it isn't common; its meanings are a dry period or condition  or withered vegetation.. There are also three unrelated nouns spelled sere. They refer to a claw or talon; a series of ecological communities; and a Hebrew vowel point.