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iridescent
adjective
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Iris, the Greek goddess of the rainbow, took messages from Mount Olympus to earth, and from gods to mortals or other gods, using the rainbow as her stairway. Iridescence is thus the glowing, shifting, colorful quality of a rainbow, also seen in an opal, a light oil slick, a butterfly wing, or the mother-of-pearl that lines an oyster shell.
Examples of iridescent in a Sentence
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'iridescent.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Word History
Greek īrid-, îris "rainbow, iridescent halo around the moon, a flame, etc." + -escent — more at iris entry 1
1796, in the meaning defined above
Dictionary Entries Near iridescent
Cite this Entry
“Iridescent.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/iridescent. Accessed 25 Oct. 2024.
Kids Definition
iridescent
adjectiveMedical Definition
iridescent
adjectiveMore from Merriam-Webster on iridescent
Nglish: Translation of iridescent for Spanish Speakers
Britannica English: Translation of iridescent for Arabic Speakers
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