iris
To open or close in the manner of an iris.
Noun
- A plant of the genus Iris, common in the northern hemisphere, and generally having attractive blooms (See Iris (plant) on Wikipedia.Wikipedia ).
- Breezes blowing from beds of iris quickened her breath with their perfume; she saw the tufted lilacs sway in the wind, and the streamers of mauve-tinted wistaria swinging, all a-glisten with golden bees; she saw a...
Synonyms: fleur-de-lis
- The contractile membrane perforated by the pupil, which adjusts to control the amount of light reaching the retina, and which forms the colored portion of the eye (See Iris (anatomy) on Wikipedia.Wikipedia ).
- A diaphragm used to regulate the size of a hole, especially as a way of controlling the amount of light reaching a lens.
- A rainbow, or other colourful refraction of light.
- A constricted opening in the path inside a waveguide, used to form a resonator.
- The inner circle of an oscillated color spot.
Origin
Etymology tree Ancient Greek ἶρις (îris)bor. Latin irisbor. English iris From Middle English iris, from Latin īris, from Ancient Greek ἶρις (îris, “rainbow”). Presuming an earlier form *ϝῖρις (*wîris), possibly from a derivative of Proto-Indo-European *w(e)ih₁-ro- (“a twist, thread, cord, wire”), from *weh₁y- (“to turn, twist, weave, plait”). If so, it would be cognate to English wire.
Forms
Related
iridal iridescent iridial iridian iridium iridocyclitis iridology iritic iritis
Derived
autoiris bearded iris beardless iris bowltube iris copper iris Dutch iris German iris intraoperative floppy iris syndrome irid- irido- Iris irisate irisated iriscope iris diaphragm iris dilator muscle iris in irisless irislike irisology iris out iris pigmented epithelium irisresorcinol iris sawfly
Verb
- To open or close in the manner of an iris.
- To cause (something) to shine with the colours of the rainbow; to make iridescent.
- Pure, transparent, glistening in the sun, and irised by a thousand hues, which float and wave and spread in graceful and ceaseless motion on its surface! - 1834, Jacob Abbott, chapter 1, in The Corner-Stone, Boston:...
- The sun as it comes indoors out of space Has left a rainbow irising each glass— A refraction, caught then multiplied From the crystal tied within our window, - 1987, Charles Tomlinson, “Winter Journey”, in The Return,...
Synonyms: iridize