iridescent

American  

[ir-i-des-uhnt] / ˌɪr ɪˈdɛs ənt /

adjective

1. displaying a play of lustrous colors like those of the rainbow.

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noun

1. an iridescent cloth, material, or other substance.

   new fall dresses of imported iridescents.

iridescent British  

/ ˌɪrɪˈdɛsənt /

adjective

1. displaying a spectrum of colours that shimmer and change due to interference and scattering as the observer's position changes

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Other Word Forms

• iridescence noun
• iridescently adverb
• noniridescent adjective
• noniridescently adverb
• uniridescent adjective
• uniridescently adverb

Etymology

Origin of iridescent

First recorded in 1790–1800; irid- + -escent

Example Sentences

I must have pulled the cap off my pen without noticing, and now my hands are an iridescent pink.

From Literature

Its body was covered in gray-green iridescent scales, and it shone.

From Literature

A big girl with hair as purple as troll-doll hair, iridescent green leggings, and three earrings in each ear comes in.

From Literature

Where her vision clears, she’s in a hall lit by candlelight and crystal chandeliers draped in pearls, dressed in an iridescent gown and jewels evocative of the decade’s New Romantic style.

From Salon

The collection's theme was "cangiante", an Italian word synonymous with iridescent and describing "something that remains entirely itself, yet changes depending on your perspective", the brand said in a statement.

From Barron's

Related Words

• lustrous
• pearly
• shimmering