iris

Meaning

Noun

1. A plant of the genus Iris, common in the northern hemisphere, and generally having attractive blooms (See Iris (plant) on Wikipedia.Wikipedia).
2. 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).
3. A diaphragm used to regulate the size of a hole, especially as a way of controlling the amount of light reaching a lens.
4. (poetic) A rainbow, or other colourful refraction of light.
5. A constricted opening in the path inside a waveguide, used to form a resonator.
6. The inner circle of an oscillated color spot.

Verb

1. To open or close in the manner of an iris.
2. (literary) To cause (something) to shine with the colours of the rainbow; to make iridescent.

Synonyms

flag

fleur-de-lis

iris diaphragm

pupil of eye

sword lily

rainbow

🌈

aperture

flower

🌸

diaphragm

tuberose

blue flag

black check

black square pattern

Newton’s ring

stop

🛑

light rings

calamus

dimmer

eye

👁️

fenestra

opening

orris

pupil

sweet flag

Translations

iris

Iris

iris

iride

iris

íris

lirio

iris

Schwertlilie

iris

Regenbogenhaut

lis

ίρις

Pronounced as (IPA)

/ˈaɪ.ɹɪs/

Etymology

Cognate with English: wire

In summary

Etymology tree
Ancient Greek *ϝῖρις (*wîris)
Ancient Greek ἶρις (îris)bor.
Latin eira
Latin ira
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.