iris

¹

[ ahy-ris ]

noun

, plural i·ris·es, ir·i·des [ir, -i-deez, ahy, -ri-].

1. Anatomy. the contractile, circular diaphragm forming the colored portion of the eye and containing a circular opening, the pupil, in its center.
2. Botany. any plant of the genus Iris, having showy flowers and sword-shaped leaves. Compare iris family.
3. a flower of this plant.
4. (initial capital letter) Classical Mythology. a messenger of the gods, regarded as the goddess of the rainbow.
5. a rainbow.
6. any appearance resembling a rainbow.
7. Movies, Television. an iris-in or iris-out.
8. Optics, Photography. iris diaphragm.

verb (used without object)

1. Movies. to begin or end a take or scene with an iris-in or iris-out, achieved by manipulation of an iris diaphragm on the camera or by editing the film.

Iris

²

[ ahy-ris ]

noun

1. a female given name.

iris

¹

/ ˈaɪrɪs /

noun

1. the coloured muscular diaphragm that surrounds and controls the size of the pupil
2. See stinking iris, orris, flag
   Also calledfleur-de-lys any plant of the iridaceous genus Iris, having brightly coloured flowers composed of three petals and three drooping sepals See also flag 3 orris 1 stinking iris
3. Also calledrainbow quartz a form of quartz that reflects light polychromatically from internal fractures
4. See rainbow
   a rare or poetic word for rainbow
5. something resembling a rainbow; iridescence
6. See iris diaphragm
   short for iris diaphragm

Iris

²

/ ˈaɪrɪs /

noun

1. the goddess of the rainbow along which she travelled to earth as a messenger of the gods

iris

/ ī′rĭs /

, Plural irises ī′rĭ-dēz′,ĭr′ĭ-

1. The colored, muscular ring around the pupil of the eye in vertebrate animals, located between the cornea and lens. Contraction and expansion of the iris controls the size of the pupil, thereby regulating the amount of light reaching the retina.

iris

1. The colored membrane of the eye , surrounding the pupil , which by contracting and expanding regulates the amount of light that enters the eye.

Word History and Origins

Origin of iris¹

First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English, from Latin Īris, īris, from Greek Îris, îris “rainbow, goddess of the rainbow, halo, iris flower or root, iridescent crystal”; in some senses, from New Latin, from Greek: “diaphragm of eye”

Word History and Origins

Origin of iris¹

C14: from Latin: rainbow, iris (flower), crystal, from Greek

Example Sentences

In her new day job at an artificial intelligence company, Iris is using her precocious aptitude for neuroscience and behavioral psychology to research sexual attraction.

From Time

Mechanical eyes as well as human ones use an iris to let in light.

From Time

Each region of the grid is a “location” on the image—one location might contain the iris of an eye, while another might contain the tip of his nose.

From MIT Technology Review

His company creates applications powered by fingerprints, iris scans and now with facial recognition to identify someone when they enter a building … including shelters for the homeless … food banks… and public schools.

From MIT Technology Review

Seeing light text on a dark screen allows the iris in our eyes to be more burdened.

From Search Engine Watch

The Black PrinceBy Iris Murdoch This is my favourite novel of all time and is structurally extremely (and successfully) ambitious.

From The Daily Beast

The same is true for Iris Dart, who has adapted her book Beaches (later a popular film) for the stage.

From The Daily Beast

Iris (name has been changed) has become one such “status symbol.”

From The Daily Beast

Iris Van Herpen and Delphine Manivet each have a technical mastery that falls within the luxurious customs of haute couture.

From The Daily Beast

“Do not dare come to our country,” Venezuelan Minister of Prison Affairs Iris Varela shot back.

From The Daily Beast

The iris of the human eye dilates and contracts with every shift of illumination, and the Time Observatory had an iris too.

From Project Gutenberg

The light that came through the machine's iris was faint at first, the barest glimmer of white in deep darkness.

From Project Gutenberg

There were morning-glories for the mid-summer season, peonies and iris for the spring, and chrysanthemums for autumn.

From Project Gutenberg

Walking beside the brook, I suddenly found the green spears of an iris plant amid the grasses.

From Project Gutenberg

Then I spied the centrepiece–a glass vase bearing three fresh iris buds from the brookside.

From Project Gutenberg