Iris

¹ American  

[ahy-ris] / ˈaɪ rɪs /

noun

1. a female given name.

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iris ² American  

[ahy-ris] / ˈaɪ rɪs /

noun

plural

irises, irides

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.

3. a flower of this plant.

4. (initial capital letter) 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.

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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 ¹ British  

/ ˈaɪrɪs /

noun

1. the coloured muscular diaphragm that surrounds and controls the size of the pupil

2. Also called: fleur-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 called: rainbow quartz.  a form of quartz that reflects light polychromatically from internal fractures

4. a rare or poetic word for rainbow

5. something resembling a rainbow; iridescence

6. short for iris diaphragm

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Iris ² British  

/ ˈaɪrɪs /

noun

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

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iris Scientific  

/ ī′rĭs /

plural

irises

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.

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iris Cultural  

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

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Etymology

Origin of iris

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”

Example Sentences

All three sections brim with short essays on various plant species such as rose, clover, iris, violet, daisy and lily of the valley, which Dior fashioned into silhouettes and blossoming decorative surfaces.

From The Wall Street Journal

His irises move a mile a minute, like they’re analyzing my very composition.

From Literature

They included exotic-sounding offerings such as white trailing lantana, orange flame gazania rigens and pink kaboom lampranthus — all chosen to satisfy the sculpture’s various sectional color requirements, marked “pupil,” “iris,” “pony dark” and more.

From Los Angeles Times

Start with its resemblance to an eye that’s been knocked out of a skull — identical to a human eyeball, until it displays a carousel of irises.

From Salon

Native irises prefer shadier conditions than their cousins, the taller bearded irises that like full sun, but over time the plants will multiply so you can increase your holdings.

From Los Angeles Times