Anatomy. the contractile, circular diaphragm forming the colored portion of the eye and containing a circular opening, the pupil, in its center.
Botany. any plant of the genus Iris, having showy flowers and sword-shaped leaves.
a flower of this plant.
(initial capital letter) a messenger of the gods, regarded as the goddess of the rainbow.
a rainbow.
any appearance resembling a rainbow.
Movies, Television. an iris-in or iris-out.
Optics, Photography. iris diaphragm.
the coloured muscular diaphragm that surrounds and controls the size of the pupil
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
Also called: rainbow quartz. a form of quartz that reflects light polychromatically from internal fractures
a rare or poetic word for rainbow
something resembling a rainbow; iridescence
short for iris diaphragm
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”
Your iris is the colored part of your eye that surrounds the black pupil in the center. If your irises are brown, you can say you have brown eyes. The job of the iris is to determine how large or small the pupil is, depending on the amount of light available. Your iris protects your eye's retina, by controlling how much light reaches it, and helps you to see. Another kind of iris is a bright flower with long, spiky leaves. Both irises take their names from the Greek iris, "rainbow."
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Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
World uses the iris for ID confirmation because it is the most unique part of a person, even more so than a fingerprint.
From BBC ● Apr. 17, 2026
IriHealth is preparing to launch, for only about $50, a small smartphone extension that would scan a user's iris.
From Barron's ● Jan. 12, 2026
And the Sam Altman-backed World project aims to scan every iris on Earth for its anonymous identification platform—if privacy concerns don’t get in the way.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Dec. 27, 2025
Other procedures like laser depigmentation and iris implants have also been used to change the eye color, but may result in corneal damage or vision loss as well.
From Salon ● May 4, 2025
Small flecks in the iris of Mordred’s eyes burned with a turquoise light, as bright as the owl’s.
From "The Once and Future King" by T. H. White
Investor sentiment also received a boost from a Reuters report Thursday suggesting that Meta is moving its proprietary in-house chips, dubbed Iris, into mass production in September.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 9, 2026
On the first day of Haute Couture Week, which featured a star-packed show from Schiaparelli and a galaxy-inspired Iris Van Herpen collection, Anderson sent out a highly wearable selection of heavily textured and pleated outfits.
From Barron's ● Jul. 6, 2026
Sarah Woods inherited a flat from her late mother Iris in 2024, and although the property remains empty, service charges and ground rent still have to be paid.
From BBC ● May 21, 2026
It was on a Sunday morning in mid-March when Riverside County sheriff’s personnel attempted a vehicle stop at Perris Boulevard and Iris Avenue in Moreno Valley.
From Los Angeles Times ● May 7, 2026
"Remember, Iris is a tumbler; he might have to drive a few days to get it. And I'm guessing it's hard to control a rover when you're literally starving to death."
From "The Martian" by Andy Weir
Warner's prose duplicates the irides cent beauty of elfin life.
From Time Magazine Archive
The beak is black, and the irides blood-red, which contrasts well with the blue-grey of the head, giving the bird a bold and striking appearance.
From Argentine Ornithology, Volume II (of 2) A descriptive catalogue of the birds of the Argentine Republic. by Hudson, W. H. (William Henry)
Beak black; cere deep yellow; irides hazel; feet yellow; claws black.
From British Birds in their Haunts by Johns, Rev. C. A.
Bill black; feet purple-brown, the membrane short; head and neck black; upper parts lead-colour; under parts dark ash-grey; under tail-coverts white; tail not much forked, shorter than the wings; irides brown.
From British Birds in their Haunts by Johns, Rev. C. A.
A white patch under the eye; head and neck black, lustrous with violet and green; back black; scapulars, great wing-coverts, speculum, and under parts, white; bill black; irides golden yellow; feet orange, with black membranes.
From British Birds in their Haunts by Johns, Rev. C. A.
In recent months, the agency has greenlighted a contract for a tool that can scan subjects’ irises and recruited several artificial-intelligence-fueled companies to locate immigrants.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jan. 5, 2026
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 ● Sep. 18, 2025
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 ● Jun. 2, 2025
White and purple irises line the paths beneath ancient horse chestnuts in full flower.
From BBC ● May 3, 2025
The woman, whoever she was, had no irises or pupils whatsoever.
From "Half Upon a Time" by James Riley
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
