Dictionary
Find
in
Dictionary
Thesaurus
Translations

Click to move up the list of words
iridescent
iridic (1)
iridic (2)
iridium
irido-
iridology
iridosmine
iridotomy
iris
iris diaphragm
iris in
iris out
Irish
Irish coffee
Irish elk
Irish English
Irish Gaelic
Click to move down the list of words
Also available:

World English Dictionary
Dictionnaire Français

iris

i·ris [ riss ] (plural i·ris·es)


noun 
Definition:
 
1. part of eye: the colored part of the eye that consists of a muscular diaphragm surrounding the pupil and regulates the light entering the eye by expanding and contracting the pupil

2. flowering plant: a plant with long sword-shaped leaves. Flowers: many-colored. Genus Iris.

3.  ( literary )
Same as  rainbown (sense 1)


4. rainbow show of colors: a show of colors of various hues, like a rainbow

5. photog 
Same as  iris diaphragm


[15th century. Via Latin< Greek, "rainbow, iris (of the eye)"]
Advertisement

© 2009 Microsoft