iris
Anatomy. the contractile, circular diaphragm forming the colored portion of the eye and containing a circular opening, the pupil, in its center.
Botany. any plant of the genus Iris, having showy flowers and sword-shaped leaves.: Compare iris family.
a flower of this plant.
(initial capital letter)Classical Mythology. a messenger of the gods, regarded as the goddess of the rainbow.
a rainbow.
any appearance resembling a rainbow.
Movies, Television. an iris-in or iris-out.
Optics, Photography. iris diaphragm.
Movies. to begin or end a take or scene with an iris-in or iris-out, achieved by manipulation of an iris diaphragm on the camera or by editing the film.
Origin of iris
1Other definitions for Iris (2 of 2)
a female given name.
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024
How to use iris in a sentence
As she reached the irising door in the bulkhead, an electric eye opened it for her.
A World Called Crimson | Darius John GrangerSophia cried over her shoulder, irising the door and plunging from the room.
Voyage To Eternity | Milton Lesser
British Dictionary definitions for iris (1 of 2)
/ (ˈaɪrɪs) /
the coloured muscular diaphragm that surrounds and controls the size of the pupil
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 flag 3, orris 1, stinking iris
Also called: rainbow quartz a form of quartz that reflects light polychromatically from internal fractures
a rare or poetic word for rainbow
something resembling a rainbow; iridescence
short for iris diaphragm
Origin of iris
1British Dictionary definitions for Iris (2 of 2)
/ (ˈaɪrɪs) /
the goddess of the rainbow along which she travelled to earth as a messenger of the gods
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
Scientific definitions for iris
[ ī′rĭs ]
The colored, muscular ring around the pupil of the eye in vertebrate animals, located between the cornea and lens. Contraction and expansion of the iris controls the size of the pupil, thereby regulating the amount of light reaching the retina.
The American Heritage® Science Dictionary Copyright © 2011. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
Cultural definitions for iris
[ (eye-ris) ]
The New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy, Third Edition Copyright © 2005 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
Browse