iris

noun \ ˈī-rəs \

|Updated on: 10 Jun 2018

Definition of iris

plural irises also irides play \ˈī-rə-ˌdēz, ˈir-ə-\

1 : rainbow

a : the opaque contractile diaphragm perforated by the pupil and forming the colored portion of the eye — see eye illustration

b : iris diaphragm; also : a similar device with a circular opening that can be varied in size

3 also plural iris : any of a large genus (Iris of the family Iridaceae, the iris family) of perennial herbaceous plants with linear usually basal leaves and large showy flowers

See iris defined for English-language learners

See iris defined for kids

Recent Examples of iris from the Web

Peony and iris plants, fresh cut flowers and floral arrangements.

— corey sheldon, OregonLive.com, "HG calendar June 2-10: usher in June with activities in the garden," 1 June 2018
Olivia remembers a time when Hannah brought her irises, her favorite flower.

— refinery29.com, "R29 Binge Club: 13 Reasons Why, Season 2," 18 May 2018
Ashley McCrary was the third friend to be diagnosed, after finding black spots in her iris.

— amanda macmillan, Health.com, "What Is Ocular Melanoma? This Rare Eye Cancer Has Struck 36 Graduates of Auburn University," 1 May 2018
The 30-year-old environmental consultant in Delhi waited in line three times to sit in front of a computer that photographed her face, captured her fingerprints and snapped images of her irises.

— vindu goel, New York Times, "‘Big Brother’ in India Requires Fingerprint Scans for Food, Phones and Finances," 7 Apr. 2018
Some people have observed injury to monocots like iris and daylilies, while others have not.

— melinda myers, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, "Tall grasses, upright shrubs provide screening," 9 Mar. 2018
The front camera and rear cameras boast 8 megapixels and 16 megapixels respectively, and the phone has IP68 water and dust resistance, Samsung Pay, wireless charging, facial recognition, a 3,000mAh battery, and an iris scanner.

— thuy ong, The Verge, "A lite version of Samsung’s flagship S8," 21 May 2018
Employees often log in with a mobile phone, a fingerprint or an iris scan; cash registers come with digital log-ins.

— rachel feintzeig, WSJ, "Employees Say Time-Tracking Systems Chip Away at Their Paychecks," 20 May 2018
Regretfully some like the peonies, iris and columbine still do not grow locally but others do.

— tom maccubbin, OrlandoSentinel.com, "Great flowers that need an early start," 11 May 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'iris.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Illustration of iris

Origin and Etymology of iris

Middle English, "iris of the eye, the plant Iris germanica," borrowed from Latin īrid-, īris "rainbow, the plant Iris pallida or related species," borrowed from Greek īrid-, îris "rainbow, iridescent halo around the moon, a flame, etc., iris of the eye, the plant Iris pallida or related species," going back to *wīrid-, *wīris, of uncertain origin

Note: Traditionally, Greek îris "rainbow" (for which an original digamma [letter representing the sound w] is assured by an inscription from Corinth and the metrics of epic poetry) has been regarded as a derivative of Indo-European *u̯ei̯H- "plait, wrap," parallel to Germanic *wīr- (see ¹wire). However, the variant éris recorded by the Greek lexicographer Hesychius, as well as the dubious character of *wīrid- as an Indo-European formation (< *u̯ih₁-r-i-?) has drawn this etymology into question. Perhaps a substratal word.

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 15th century

in the meaning defined at sense 1

See Words from the same year

Other Seed Plant Terms

aubergine, box, bramble, briar, composite, perpetual, pulse, trefoil

iris

verb

Definition of iris

irised; irising; irises

transitive verb

: to make iridescent

First Known Use of iris

1816

in the meaning defined above

See Words from the same year

NEW! Time Traveler

Iris

noun \ ˈī-rəs \

Definition of Iris

: the Greek goddess of the rainbow and a messenger of the gods

Origin and Etymology of iris

Latin, from Greek

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 15th century

in the meaning defined above

See Words from the same year

Other Mythology and Folklore Terms

elysian, fay, muse, nimbus, phoenix

IRIS Defined for English Language Learners

iris

noun

Definition of iris for English Language Learners

: the colored part of your eye
: a plant with long pointed leaves and large blue or yellow flowers

IRIS Defined for Kids

iris

noun \ ˈī-rəs \

Definition of iris for Students

1 : the colored part around the pupil of an eye

2 : a plant with long pointed leaves and large usually brightly colored flowers

Medical Dictionary

iris

noun \ ˈī-rəs \

medical Definition of iris

plural irises or irides play \ˈī-rə-ˌdēz, ˈir-ə-\

1 : the opaque muscular contractile diaphragm that is suspended in the aqueous humor in front of the lens of the eye, is perforated by the pupil and is continuous peripherally with the ciliary body, has a deeply pigmented posterior surface which excludes the entrance of light except through the pupil and a colored anterior surface which determines the color of the eyes

2 : iris diaphragm