also: a similar device with a circular opening that can be varied in size
2
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
: the Greek goddess of the rainbow and a messenger of the gods
Examples of iris in a Sentence
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Noun
Other types of irises include Dutch iris, Siberian iris, and Japanese iris.—Megan Hughes, Better Homes & Gardens, 6 July 2025 Then there is Elizabeth Gamble’s favorite flower, the iris.—Stephanie Lam, Mercury News, 2 July 2025 The secondary color might show as a thin slice in one eye or cover up to two-thirds of the iris in another.—Lucy Notarantonio, MSNBC Newsweek, 21 June 2025 The Orb scans a user’s iris, which is a one-of-a-kind biomarker like a fingerprint.—Reed Albergotti, semafor.com, 20 June 2025 See All Example Sentences for iris
Word History
Etymology
Noun (1)
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 wire entry 1). 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.
: 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
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