iris

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I·ris

(ī′rĭs)

n. Greek Mythology

The goddess of the rainbow and messenger of the gods.

[Latin Īris, from Greek, from īris, rainbow; see wei- in Indo-European roots.]

i·ris

(ī′rĭs)

n. pl. i·ris·es or i·ri·des (ī′rĭ-dēz′, ĭr′ĭ-)

1. The pigmented, round, contractile membrane of the eye, suspended between the cornea and lens and perforated by the pupil. It regulates the amount of light entering the eye.

2. Any of numerous widely cultivated plants of the genus Iris, having narrow sword-shaped leaves and showy, variously colored flowers.

3. A rainbow or rainbowlike display of colors.

4. An iris diaphragm.

[Middle English, iris (the plant), from Latin īris, īrid-, rainbow, iris (the plant), from Greek, rainbow, brightly-colored gemstone, iris of the eye; see wei- in Indo-European roots.]

American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

iris

(ˈaɪrɪs)

n, pl irises or irides (ˈaɪrɪˌdiːz; ˈɪrɪ-)

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

2. (Plants) 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 flag³, orris¹, stinking iris

3. (Minerals) 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. (Photography) short for iris diaphragm

[C14: from Latin: rainbow, iris (flower), crystal, from Greek]

Iris

(ˈaɪrɪs)

(Classical Myth & Legend) the goddess of the rainbow along which she travelled to earth as a messenger of the gods

Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014

i•ris

(ˈaɪ rɪs)

n., pl. i•ris•es; esp. for 1,8 ir•i•des (ˈɪr ɪˌdiz, ˈaɪ rɪ-) for 2,3 i•ris; n.

1. the contractile, circular diaphragm forming the colored portion of the eye and containing an opening, the pupil, in its center.

2. any plant of the genus Iris, having flowers with three upright petals and three drooping, petallike sepals.

3. a flower of this plant.

4. (cap.) an ancient Greek goddess of the rainbow and messenger of the gods.

5. a rainbow.

6. iris diaphragm.

v.i.

[1350–1400; Middle English < Latin Īris, īris < Greek Îris, îris rainbow]

i·ris

(ī′rĭs)

The colored part around the pupil of the eye in vertebrate animals, located between the cornea and lens. Contraction and expansion of the muscular iris controls the size of the pupil, thereby regulating the amount of light reaching the retina.

The American Heritage® Student Science Dictionary, Second Edition. Copyright © 2014 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

iris

The circular colored part of the eye surrounding the pupil. Muscle fibers that make the iris contract alter pupil size, and so the amount of light entering the eye.

ThesaurusAntonymsRelated WordsSynonymsLegend:

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Noun	1.	iris - plants with sword-shaped leaves and erect stalks bearing bright-colored flowers composed of three petals and three drooping sepals fleur-de-lis, sword lily, flag iridaceous plant - any bulbous plant of the family Iridaceae genus Iris - large genus of perennials that develop from bulbs or rhizomes bearded iris - any of numerous wild or cultivated irises with hairlike structures on the falls (the drooping sepals) beardless iris - any of numerous wild or cultivated irises having no hairs on the drooping sepals (the falls) bulbous iris - any of various irises having a rootstock formed like a bulb Iris cristata, dwarf iris - low-growing summer-flowering iris of northeastern United States gladdon, gladdon iris, Iris foetidissima, roast beef plant, stinking gladwyn, stinking iris - iris with purple flowers and foul-smelling leaves; southern and western Europe and North Africa Iris persica, Persian iris - bulbous iris native to Asia Minor cultivated for its pale lilac-colored flowers Iris pseudacorus, yellow flag, yellow iris, yellow water flag - common yellow-flowered iris of Europe and North Africa, naturalized in United States and often cultivated dwarf iris, Iris verna, vernal iris - low-growing spring-flowering American iris with bright blue-lilac flowers blue flag, Iris versicolor - a common iris of the eastern United States having blue or blue-violet flowers; root formerly used medicinally Iris virginica, southern blue flag - similar to blue flag; the eastern United States English iris, Iris xiphioides - bulbous iris native to the Pyrenees; widely cultivated for its large delicate flowers in various colors except yellow
	2.	iris - muscular diaphragm that controls the size of the pupil which in turn controls the amount of light that enters the eye; it forms the colored portion of the eye eye, oculus, optic - the organ of sight pupil - the contractile aperture in the center of the iris of the eye; resembles a large black dot tissue layer, membrane - a pliable sheet of tissue that covers or lines or connects the organs or cells of animals or plants
	3.	iris - diaphragm consisting of thin overlapping plates that can be adjusted to change the diameter of a central opening iris diaphragm diaphragm, stop - a mechanical device in a camera that controls size of aperture of the lens; "the new cameras adjust the diaphragm automatically"

Translations

سَوْسَنقَزَحِيَّةُ العَيْـنُقُزْحِيَّة العَيْن

duhovkakosatec

irisregnbuehinde

Iris Schwertlilie

ίριδα

iris lirio

Iiriskehäkalvokurjenmiekkasilmän värikalvo

Iris

איריס

šarenica

íriszszivárványhártya

lithimnasverîlilja

giaggiolo iride iris

アヤメ

홍채

irisasrainelė

īrissvaravīksnene

iris

iris regnbuehinne sverdlilje

tęczówka irys

íris

ирис касатик радужная оболочка глаза

dúhovkakosatec

šarenica

perunika

iris

ม่านตา

irissüsenzambakgözbebeği etrafındaki renkli halka

mống mắt

虹膜鸢尾属植物

iris

[ˈaɪərɪs] N (irises (pl))

1. (Anat) → iris m inv

2. (Bot) → lirio m

Collins Spanish Dictionary - Complete and Unabridged 8th Edition 2005 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1971, 1988 © HarperCollins Publishers 1992, 1993, 1996, 1997, 2000, 2003, 2005

iris

[ˈaɪrɪs]irises (pl) n

[eye] (ANATOMY) → iris m

(= flower) (BOTANY) → iris m

Collins English/French Electronic Resource. © HarperCollins Publishers 2005

iris

(of eye) → Regenbogenhaut f, → Iris f

(Bot) → Iris f, → Schwertlilie f

Collins German Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged 7th Edition 2005. © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1980 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1997, 1999, 2004, 2005, 2007

iris

[ˈaɪərɪs] n

a. (Anat) → iride f

b. (Bot) → iris f inv, giaggiolo

iris

(ˈaiəris) noun

1. the coloured part of the eye.

2. a kind of brightly-coloured flower with sword-shaped leaves.

iris

→ قَزَحِيَّةُ العَيْـنُ duhovka iris Iris ίριδα iris silmän värikalvo iris šarenica iris アヤメ 홍채 iris iris tęczówka íris радужная оболочка глаза iris ม่านตา iris mống mắt 虹膜

i·ris

n. iris, membrana contráctil del humor acuoso del ojo situada entre el cristalino y la córnea, que regula la entrada de la luz.

iris

n (pl irides o irises) iris m

References in classic literature ?

"Walk with me a little way," he said, "and I will show you Iris before she starts."

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On that road we heard the song of morning stars; we drank in fragrances aerial and sweet as a May mist; we were rich in gossamer fancies and iris hopes; our hearts sought and found the boon of dreams; the years waited beyond and they were very fair; life was a rose-lipped comrade with purple flowers dripping from her fingers.

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The iris is extremely black while the eyeball itself is quite white and clear.

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Filled with these thoughts - so filled that he had an unwholesome sense of growing larger, of being placed in some new and diseased relation towards the objects among which he passed, of seeing the iris round every misty light turn red - he went home for shelter.

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And now Iris, fleet as the wind, was sent by Jove to tell the bad news among the Trojans.

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Rarely does the daughter of Thaumas, swift- footed Iris, come to her with a message over the sea's wide back.

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I think the ground is full of daffodils and snowdrops and lilies and iris working their way out of the dark.

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The iris of the eyes is blood red, as in Albinos, while the pupil is dark.

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That star which shines once in the life of every man, which shone for Job and Iris, the most unfortunate of the Jews and the poorest of the Greeks, is come at last to shine on me.

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It puts aside, obscures, or takes the place of something else--just as the head of a pin placed before the centre of the iris will block out the whole scope of vision.

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Their features were clear cut and handsome in the extreme; their eyes were well set and large, though a slight narrowness lent them a crafty appearance; the iris, as well as I could determine by moonlight, was of extreme blackness, while the eyeball itself was quite white and clear.

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In her light dress, with her slender delicacy, she made him think of a white iris.

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