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• iris
  iris

  noun

  the contractile, circular diaphragm forming the colored portion of the eye and containing a circular opening, the pupil, in its center.
• Iris
  Iris

  noun

  a female given name.

iris

¹ American  

[ahy-ris] / ˈaɪ rɪs /

noun

• irises,
  plural
• irides
  plural

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 ² American  

[ahy-ris] / ˈaɪ rɪs /

noun

1. a female given name.

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Iris ¹ 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 ² 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 Scientific  

/ ī′rĭs /

• irises
  plural

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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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• irides
  plural
• irises
  plural

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”

Explanation

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."

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

iris Iris irides irises

Now that the cattle are gone, she’s seeing all kinds of native plants, such as coastal strawberries, Yerba Buena Blue-eyed grass and the Douglas iris with their stunning lavender petals.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 16, 2026

Over the same period, Tinder's audience fell from 1.9 million to 1.5 million, according to Ipsos iris data.

From BBC ● Jun. 4, 2026

The gadget relies on iridology, a technique by which iris colors and markings are believed to reveal information about a person's health, but which is generally considered scientifically unreliable.

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

Flowers grew intermittently; a patch of iris here, a colony of dandelions there.

From "Hello, Universe" by Erin Entrada Kelly

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

Iris Sun, principal investor of the global flagship fund at 500 Global in Palo Alto, tries to observe and nurture founders’ soft skills by spending more time hanging out than she did in previous years.

From The Wall Street Journal ● May 18, 2026

The politician uses they/them pronouns and along with Glasgow's Iris Duane will be Holyrood's first trans parliamentarians.

From BBC ● May 13, 2026

They all slapped hands with me and Vega before disappearing, dragging Iris with them.

From "The Stars Beneath Our Feet" by David Barclay Moore

Warner's prose duplicates the irides cent beauty of elfin life.

From Time Magazine Archive

The beak is very strong, and yellowish green in colour; the irides, ruby-red, the eyelids scarlet.

From Argentine Ornithology, Volume II (of 2) A descriptive catalogue of the birds of the Argentine Republic. by W. H. (William Henry) Hudson

General plumage white; scapulars and wings black; bill and feet red; orbits naked, black; irides brown.

From British Birds in their Haunts by Rev. C. A. Johns

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 Rev. C. A. Johns

Female smaller; head and crest reddish brown; breast mottled with ash and white; upper plumage and flanks deep ash-colour; speculum with one black bar; bill and feet dull orange; irides brown.

From British Birds in their Haunts by Rev. C. A. Johns

His attentive eyes, rendered to suggest both irises and pupils, are cast to one side—sizing up, perhaps, a nearby talker—and his lips are parted, as though he himself is about to speak.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 12, 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 whites of the Augur’s eyes are demon-red, vivid against his jet irises.

From "An Ember in the Ashes" by Sabaa Tahir