iris

Meanings

1. 1
   noun

   A plant of the genus Iris, common in the northern hemisphere, and generally having attractive blooms (See Iris (plant) on Wikipedia.Wikipedia ).

   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. 2
   verb

   To cause (something) to shine with the colours of the rainbow; to make iridescent.

   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!

3. 3
   noun

   diaphragm consisting of thin overlapping plates that can be adjusted to change the diameter of a central opening

4. 4
   noun

   muscular diaphragm that controls the size of the pupil which in turn controls the amount of light that enters the eye

Appears in

Simplified etymology

Iris comes from Latin and Greek iris, a word taken from the name of Iris, the mythological goddess of the rainbow, and meaning “rainbow.” The eye membrane was named for the variety of its colours, while the flower name dates from the late Middle Ages.

Etymology tree Ancient Greek ϝῖρῐς (wîrĭs) 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.

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External links

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