iris

See also: Iris, IRIs, íris, Íris, and iris-

English

Etymology

From Middle English [Term?], from Latin īris, from Ancient Greek ἶρις (îris, “rainbow”), from Proto-Indo-European *wey-ro- (“a twist, thread, cord, wire”), from *weh₁y- (“to turn, twist, weave, plait”). Cognate to English wire.

Pronunciation

  • Audio (US)(file)
  • enPR: ī'rĭs, IPA(key): /ˈaɪɹɪs/
  • Rhymes: -aɪɹɪs

Noun

A plant of the genus, Iris.
Illustration showing parts of the human eye, including the iris.

iris (plural irises or iris or irides) (See Usage notes)

  1. (botany) A plant of the genus Iris, common in the northern hemisphere, and generally having attractive blooms (See Iris (plant) on Wikipedia.Wikipedia ).
    • 1907, Robert William Chambers, chapter V, in The Younger Set (Project Gutenberg; EBook #14852), New York, N.Y.: D. Appleton & Company, published 1 February 2005 (Project Gutenberg version), OCLC 24962326:
      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.
  2. (anatomy) 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. (photography, cinematography) 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. (electronics) A constricted opening in the path inside a waveguide, used to form a resonator.
  6. (zoology) The inner circle of an oscillated color spot.

Usage notes

For the part of the eye, the usual medical plural is irides.
For the flower both iris and irises are in common use.

Quotations

plural iris

1989
1996		 2004
ME « 15th c. 16th c. 17th c. 18th c. 19th c. 20th c. 21st c.
  • 1989, Ann Lovejoy, The Year in Bloom
    Is there anything more spectacular than the bearded iris in their short season?
  • 1996, Katherine Grace Endicott, Northern California Gardening
    Tall bearded iris are in bloom now.
  • 2004, Diana Beresford-Kroeger, A Garden for Life
    The bulbous iris are important because their early flowers provide a food source for bees and early flying insects.

plural irides

1843 1989 2001
ME « 15th c. 16th c. 17th c. 18th c. 19th c. 20th c. 21st c.
  • 1843, The Penny Cyclopaedia of the Society for the Diffusion of Useful Knowledge
    In colour the irides are straw-yellow, the pupils black; forehead, nape, and back, very dark bluish-black; [...]
  • 1989, Robert S Ridgely, The Birds of South America
    As in the caciques, bills are sharply pointed and pale, while irides are usually pale blue.
  • 2001, John V Forrester et al., The Eye
    Later in life brown irides are the result of heavily pigmented melanocytes within the stroma.

plural irises

1987
2000		 2002
ME « 15th c. 16th c. 17th c. 18th c. 19th c. 20th c. 21st c.
  • 1987, Pamela Harper, Frederick McGourty, Perennials
    Tall bearded irises are easy to grow but not always easy to grow well.
  • 2000, Kevin C Voughn, Louisiana Iris
    Most iris lovers feel that Louisiana irises are now large enough.
  • 2002, John E Bryan, Bulbs
    All these irises are sold as dry, dormant bulbs in fall.

Derived terms

Translations

Further reading

Verb

iris (third-person singular simple present irises, present participle irising, simple past and past participle irised)

  1. (of an aperture, lens, or door) To open or close in the manner of an iris.

Anagrams

Catalan

Etymology

From Latin iris, from Ancient Greek ἶρις (îris).

Pronunciation

Noun

iris m (plural iris)

  1. iris (part of the eye)

Further reading

Dutch

Pronunciation

  • Audio(file)

Noun

iris c (plural irissen, diminutive irisje n)

  1. iris
    Synonym: regenboogvlies (anatomy)

Esperanto

Verb

iris

  1. past of iri

French

Etymology

Borrowed from Latin iris, Ancient Greek ἶρις (îris).

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): /i.ʁis/
  • Audio(file)

Noun

iris m (plural iris)

  1. iris

Further reading

Ido

Verb

iris

  1. past of irar

Indonesian

Noun

iris

  1. slice

Verb

mengiris

  1. to slice

Irish

Etymology 1

From Old Irish iris f (“a thong or strap (from which a shield, bag, etc. is suspended)”).

Noun

iris f (genitive singular irise, nominative plural irisí)

  1. strap, sling (for carrying)
Declension

Etymology 2

From Old Irish ires, iress f (“religion, creed, the (true) faith”).

Noun

iris f (genitive singular irise)

  1. (literary) belief, faith, religion
Declension
Alternative forms

Etymology 3

Noun

iris f (genitive singular irise, nominative plural irisí)

  1. Alternative form of oireas
  2. magazine, journal
    Synonym: irisleabhar
  3. gazette
Declension
Derived terms

Etymology 4

Noun

iris m

  1. inflection of ireas (“iris”):
    1. genitive singular
    2. vocative singular
  2. inflection of ireas:
    1. nominative plural
    2. dative plural

Mutation

Irish mutation
RadicalEclipsiswith h-prothesiswith t-prothesis
iris n-iris hiris not applicable
Note: Some of these forms may be hypothetical. Not every
possible mutated form of every word actually occurs.

Further reading

  • "iris" in Foclóir Gaeilge-Béarla, An Gúm, 1977, by Niall Ó Dónaill.
  • “iris” in Dictionary of the Irish Language, Royal Irish Academy, 1913–76.
  • “ires(s)” in Dictionary of the Irish Language, Royal Irish Academy, 1913–76.
  • Entries containing “iris” in English-Irish Dictionary, An Gúm, 1959, by Tomás de Bhaldraithe.
  • Entries containing “iris” in New English-Irish Dictionary by Foras na Gaeilge.

Italian

Etymology

Borrowed from Latin iris, Ancient Greek ἶρις (îris).

Noun

iris m, f (invariable)

  1. iris (flower)
    Synonyms: giaggiolo, iride

Anagrams

Latin

Noun

īrīs

  1. inflection of īra:
    1. dative plural
    2. ablative plural
  1. rainbow
    • Vulgate Bible, Douay-Rheims Version, Revelation 10:1
      et vidi alium angelum fortem descendentem de caelo amictum nube et iris in capite eius et facies eius erat ut sol et pedes eius tamquam columna ignis

Norwegian Bokmål

Etymology

Borrowed from Ancient Greek ἶρις (îris, “rainbow”).

Noun

iris m (definite singular irisen, indefinite plural iriser, definite plural irisene)

  1. (botany) an iris (flower)
  2. (anatomy) an iris (part of the eye)
    Synonym: regnbuehinne

References

Norwegian Nynorsk

Etymology

Borrowed from Ancient Greek ἶρις (îris, “rainbow”).

Noun

iris m (definite singular irisen, indefinite plural irisar, definite plural irisane)

  1. (botany) an iris (flower)
  2. (anatomy) an iris (part of the eye)
    Synonym: regnbogehinne

References

Portuguese

Noun

iris f (plural iris)

  1. Obsolete spelling of íris

Romanian

Etymology

Borrowed from French iris, Latin iris, from Ancient Greek ἶρις (îris).

Noun

iris n (plural irisuri)

  1. (anatomy) iris (of the eye)

Noun

iris n (plural iriși)

  1. (botany) iris (flower)
    Synonyms: stânjenel, stânjen

Scottish Gaelic

Etymology

Compare Irish iris.

Noun

iris f (genitive singular irise, plural irisean)

  1. magazine, periodical
    Synonym: ràitheachan

Mutation

Scottish Gaelic mutation
RadicalEclipsiswith h-prothesiswith t-prothesis
irisn-irish-irist-iris
Note: Some of these forms may be hypothetical. Not every
possible mutated form of every word actually occurs.

Spanish

Etymology

Borrowed from Latin iris, Ancient Greek ἶρις (îris).

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): /ˈiɾis/

Noun

iris m (plural iris or iríses)

  1. (anatomy) iris

Derived terms

Further reading

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