iris
/ˈaɪ.ɹɪs/
Word Rarity
Rare
Frequency: 3.76 in modern English
4
Scrabble Score
4
Letters
2
Syllables
3
Unique Chars
Meaning
noun
A plant of the genus Iris, common in the northern hemisphere, and generally having attractive blooms (See Iris (plant) on Wikipedia.Wikipedia ).
noun
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 ).
noun
A diaphragm used to regulate the size of a hole, especially as a way of controlling the amount of light reaching a lens.
noun
A rainbow, or other colourful refraction of light.
noun
The inner circle of an oscillated color spot.
Example Sentences
- "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 crimson cardinal winging through the foliage, and amorous tanagers flashing like scarlet flames athwart the pines."
- "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!"
- "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,"
- "What's the matter, That this distemper'd messenger of wet, The many-colour'd Iris, rounds thine eye?"
- "Persia tells Iris she is named for something special: the iris of the eye. "I thought I was named for a flower," Iris says, disappointed. "An iris is a flower, of course," Persia says, smiling, "but it's this other, too. Our secret. 'The iris of the eye'." "The eye?" Persia snaps her fingers in Iris's eyes. The gesture is so rude and unexpected, Iris will remember it all her life. After this disclosure, Iris doesn't know whether she likes her name any more."
Etymology
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.
Origin
Word Breakdown
Regional Pronunciation
- American English: /ˈaɪ.ɹɪs/
- British English: /ˈaɪ.ɹɪs/