iris

See also: Iris, IRIs, íris, Íris, and iris-

English

Etymology

From Middle English [Term?], from Latin īris, from Ancient Greek ἶρις (îris, “rainbow”), 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.

Pronunciation

enPR: ī'rĭs, IPA^(key): /ˈaɪ.ɹɪs/
Audio (US) (file)
Rhymes: -aɪɹɪs

Noun

A plant of the genus Iris.

Illustration showing parts of the human eye, including the iris.

iris (plural irises or iris or irides) (See Usage notes)

(botany) A plant of the genus Iris, common in the northern hemisphere, and generally having attractive blooms (See Iris (plant) on Wikipedia.Wikipedia ).
- 1907 August, Robert W[illiam] Chambers, “Afterglow”, in The Younger Set, New York, N.Y.: D. Appleton & Company, OCLC 24962326, page 168:
  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.
(anatomy) The contractile membrane perforated by the pupil, which adjusts to control the amount of light reaching the retina, and which forms the colored portion of the eye (See Iris (anatomy) on Wikipedia.Wikipedia ).
(photography, cinematography) A diaphragm used to regulate the size of a hole, especially as a way of controlling the amount of light reaching a lens.
(poetic) A rainbow, or other colourful refraction of light.
(electronics) A constricted opening in the path inside a waveguide, used to form a resonator.
(zoology) The inner circle of an oscillated color spot.

Usage notes

For the part of the eye, the most common plural is irises, though irides is usual in medical contexts.
For the flower both iris and irises are in common use.

Quotations

For quotations using this term, see Citations:iris.

Derived terms

bearded iris
beardless iris
German iris
irisate, irisated
iriscope
irislike
Iris (name)
irisology
iris pigmented epithelium
Spanish iris
stinking iris

Related terms

iridal
iridescent
iridial
iridian
iridium
iridocyclitis
iridology
iritic
iritis

Translations

plant of the genus Iris

Afrikaans: iris
Armenian: հիրիկ (hy) (hirik)
Bulgarian: ирис m (iris), перуника f (perunika)
Catalan: lliri (ca) m, iris (ca) m
Chinese:
Mandarin: 鳶尾花／鸢尾花 (zh) (yuānwěi huā)
Czech: kosatec (cs) m
Danish: iris (da) c
Dutch: iris (nl) m or f
Faroese: mækja f
Finnish: kurjenmiekka (fi)
French: iris (fr) m
Galician: lirio (gl) m
Georgian: ზამბახი (zambaxi)
German: Iris (de) f, Schwertlilie (de) f
Greek: ίρις (el) f (íris)
Hebrew: אִירוּס‎ (he) m (írus)
Hungarian: nőszirom (hu), írisz (hu)
Irish: glóiriam m, ireas m
Italian: iris (it) m, giaggiolo (it) m
Japanese: 菖蒲 (ja) (あやめ, ayame)
Korean: 붓꽃 (ko) (butkkot), 창포 (ko) (changpo)
Latvian: īriss (lv) m
Lithuanian: vilkdalgis m
Macedonian: перуника f (perunika), ирис m (iris)
Maori: mīkoikoi
Middle English: flourdelis
Navajo: niteel bitʼąąʼ łánígíí
Norwegian: sverdlilje m or f, mækje m or f
Persian: زنبق‎ (fa) (zanbaq)
Plautdietsch: Schelplelje f
Polish: irys (pl) m, kosaciec (pl) m
Portuguese: íris (pt) m
Romanian: iris (ro) m, stânjen (ro) m, stânjenel (ro) m
Russian: и́рис (ru) m (íris), каса́тик (ru) m (kasátik)
Scottish Gaelic: seileastair m
Serbo-Croatian:
Cyrillic: и̑рис m, перу̀ника f
Roman: ȋris (sh) m, perùnika (sh) f
Slovene: perunika f
Spanish: lirio (es) m
Swahili: airisi
Swedish: iris (sv) c
Telugu: కంటిపాప (te) (kaṇṭipāpa)
Turkish: süsen (tr), iris (tr)
Vietnamese: diên vĩ

part of the eye

Afrikaans: reënboogvlieg
Arabic: قُزَحِيَّة‎ f (quzaḥiyya)
Egyptian Arabic: قزحية‎ f (quzaḥeya), سواد العين‎ m (sawād el-ʿein)
Armenian: ծիածանաթաղանթ (hy) (ciacanatʿałantʿ), ակնածիածան (hy) (aknaciacan)
Basque: please add this translation if you can
Bulgarian: ирис m (iris)
Burmese: မျက်ဝန်း (my) (myak-wan:), မျက်နက် (my) (myaknak)
Catalan: iris (ca) m
Chinese:
Mandarin: 虹膜 (zh) (hóngmó), 虹彩 (zh) (hóngcǎi)
Czech: duhovka (cs) f
Danish: regnbuehinde (da), iris (da) c
Dutch: regenboogvlies (nl) n, iris (nl) m or f
Esperanto: iriso
Faroese: lithinna f
Finnish: värikalvo (fi), iiris (fi)
French: iris (fr) m
Galician: iris (gl) m
Georgian: თვალის გარსი (tvalis garsi), ფერადი გარსი (peradi garsi)
German: Iris (de) f, Regenbogenhaut (de) f
Greek: ίρις (el) f (íris), ίριδα (el) f (írida)
Hebrew: קַשְתִית‎ (he) f (kashtít)
Hungarian: szivárványhártya (hu), írisz (hu)
Irish: imreasc (ga) m, inteachán m, seall m
Italian: iride (it) f
Japanese: 虹彩 (ja) (こうさい, kōsai)
Khmer: ប្រស្រី (prɑsrəy), អក្ខិ (km) (akkʰe’), កែវភ្នែក (kaev pnɛɛk), អក្សិតារា (akse’ taaraa)
Korean: 홍채 (ko) (hongchae)
Kurdish:
Northern Kurdish: rengîne f
Latvian: varavīksnene f
Lithuanian: rainelė f
Macedonian: рожница f (rožnica), шареница f (šarenica)
Maori: tiwha
Mongolian: please add this translation if you can
Navajo: anázhiin
Norwegian:
Bokmål: regnbuehinne m or f, iris (no) m
Nynorsk: regnbogehinne f, iris m
Persian: عنبیه‎ (fa) ('enabiye)
Polish: tęczówka (pl) f
Portuguese: íris (pt) m
Romanian: iris (ro) n
Russian: ра́дужная оболо́чка (ru) f (rádužnaja obolóčka), и́рис (ru) m (íris)
Serbo-Croatian:
Cyrillic: и̑рис m, шарѐница f, ду̏жица f
Roman: ȋris (sh) m, šarènica (sh) f, dȕžica (sh) f
Slovene: šarenica (sl) f
Spanish: iris (es) m
Swedish: iris (sv) c, regnbågshinna (sv)
Tagalog: alikmata (tl)
Thai: ม่านตา (mâan-dtaa)
Turkish: iris (tr)
Vietnamese: mống mắt
Volapük: lirid (vo)

photography, cinematography: diaphragm

Bulgarian: бленда (bg) f (blenda)
Finnish: himmennin (fi), aukko (fi)
French: iris (fr) m
Hungarian: írisz (hu)
Romanian: iris (ro) n
Serbo-Croatian:
Cyrillic: бле̑нда f
Roman: blȇnda (sh) f

Verb

iris (third-person singular simple present irises, present participle irising, simple past and past participle irised)

(of an aperture, lens, or door) To open or close in the manner of an iris.
(literary) To cause (something) to shine with the colours of the rainbow; to make iridescent.
Synonym: iridize
- 1834, Jacob Abbott, The Corner-Stone, Boston: William Peirce, Chapter 1, p. 31,
  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!
- 1987, Charles Tomlinson, “Winter Journey” in The Return, Oxford University Press, p. 35,
  The sun as it comes indoors out of space
  Has left a rainbow irising each glass—
  A refraction, caught then multiplied
  From the crystal tied within our window,

Derived terms

irised

Anagrams

Siri

Bikol Central

Pronunciation

Hyphenation: i‧ris
IPA^(key): /ʔiˈɾis/

Noun

irís

(anatomy) side of the body
Synonyms: tagiliran, hirog

Catalan

Etymology

From Latin iris, from Ancient Greek ἶρις (îris).

Pronunciation

(Balearic, Central, Valencian) IPA^(key): /ˈi.ɾis/

Noun

iris m (plural iris)

iris (part of the eye)

Derived terms

arc iris

Related terms

iridectomia
iridi
iridià
irídic

Dutch

Etymology

Borrowed from Latin īris or Middle French iris (itself from Latin), from Ancient Greek ἶρις (îris).

Pronunciation

IPA^(key): /ˈiː.rɪs/
Audio (file)
Hyphenation: iris
Homophone: Iris

Noun

iris f (plural irissen, diminutive irisje n)

(anatomy) iris (coloured part of the eye)
Synonym: regenboogvlies
(botany) iris, plant of the genus Iris

Esperanto

Pronunciation

Audio (file)

Verb

iris

past of iri

French

Etymology

Borrowed from Latin iris, Ancient Greek ἶρις (îris).

Pronunciation

IPA^(key): /i.ʁis/
Audio (file)

Noun

iris m (plural iris)

iris

Derived terms

iris d'eau

Ido

Pronunciation

IPA^(key): /ˈiris/

Verb

iris

past of irar

Indonesian

Noun

iris (first-person possessive irisku, second-person possessive irismu, third-person possessive irisnya)

slice

Verb

mengiris

to slice

Irish

Pronunciation

IPA^(key): /ˈɪɾʲəʃ/

Etymology 1

From Old Irish iris f (“a thong or strap (from which a shield, bag, etc. is suspended)”).

Noun

iris f (genitive singular irise, nominative plural irisí or irseacha or irste)

strap, sling (for carrying)

Declension

Declension of iris

Second declension

Bare forms

Case	Singular	Plural
Nominative	iris	irisí
Vocative	a iris	a irisí
Genitive	irise	irisí
Dative	iris	irisí

Forms with the definite article

Case	Singular	Plural
Nominative	an iris	na hirisí
Genitive	na hirise	na n-irisí
Dative	leis an iris don iris	leis na hirisí

Alternative plural forms: irseacha, irste, irsteacha

Etymology 2

From Old Irish iress (“religion, creed, the (true) faith”).

Noun

iris f (genitive singular irise)

(literary) belief, faith, religion

Declension

Declension of iris

Second declension

Bare forms (no plural form of this noun)

Case	Singular
Nominative	iris
Vocative	a iris
Genitive	irise
Dative	iris

Forms with the definite article

Case	Singular
Nominative	an iris
Genitive	na hirise
Dative	leis an iris don iris

Alternative forms

ireas

Etymology 3

(This etymology is missing or incomplete. Please add to it, or discuss it at the Etymology scriptorium.)

Noun

iris f (genitive singular irise, nominative plural irisí)

Alternative form of oireas
magazine, journal
Synonym: irisleabhar
gazette

Declension

Declension of iris

Second declension

Bare forms

Case	Singular	Plural
Nominative	iris	irisí
Vocative	a iris	a irisí
Genitive	irise	irisí
Dative	iris	irisí

Forms with the definite article

Case	Singular	Plural
Nominative	an iris	na hirisí
Genitive	na hirise	na n-irisí
Dative	leis an iris don iris	leis na hirisí

Derived terms

iriseoir m (“journalist”)
iris mhíosúil f (“monthly magazine”)
iris oifigiúil f (“official gazette”)
iris trádála f (“trade journal”)

Related terms

iriseoireacht f (“journalism”)

Noun

iris m

inflection of ireas (“iris”):
1. genitive/vocative singular
2. nominative/dative plural

Mutation

Irish mutation
Radical	Eclipsis	with h-prothesis	with t-prothesis
iris	n-iris	hiris	not applicable
Note: Some of these forms may be hypothetical. Not every possible mutated form of every word actually occurs.

Italian

Etymology

Borrowed from Latin iris, Ancient Greek ἶρις (îris).

Pronunciation

IPA^(key): /ˈi.ris/
Rhymes: -iris
Hyphenation: ì‧ris

Noun

iris m or f (invariable)

iris (flower)
Synonyms: giaggiolo, iride

Anagrams

Risi, risi

Latin

Etymology 1

From Ancient Greek ἶρις (îris).

Pronunciation

(Classical) IPA^(key): /ˈiː.ris/, [ˈiːrɪs̠]

(Ecclesiastical) IPA^(key): /ˈi.ris/, [ˈiːris]

Noun

īris f (genitive īris or īridis); third declension

rainbow
- 405, Jerome and others, Vulgate, Revelation 10:1
  et vīdī alium angelum fortem dēscendentem dē caelō amictum nūbe, et īris in capite eius, et faciēs eius erat ut sōl, et pedēs eius tamquam columna ignis

Declension

Third-declension noun (i-stem or imparisyllabic non-i-stem; two different stems).

Case	Singular	Plural
Nominative	īris	īrēs īridēs
Genitive	īris īridis	īrium īridum
Dative	īrī īridī	īribus īridibus
Accusative	īrem īrim īrin īridem	īrēs īrīs īridēs
Ablative	īre īride	īribus īridibus
Vocative	īris	īrēs īridēs

Etymology 2

See the etymology of the corresponding lemma form.

Pronunciation

(Classical) IPA^(key): /ˈiː.riːs/, [ˈiːriːs̠]

(Ecclesiastical) IPA^(key): /ˈi.ris/, [ˈiːris]

Noun

īrīs

dative/ablative plural of īra

Norwegian Bokmål

Etymology

Borrowed from Ancient Greek ἶρις (îris, “rainbow”).

Noun

iris m (definite singular irisen, indefinite plural iriser, definite plural irisene)

(botany) an iris (flower)
(anatomy) an iris (part of the eye)
Synonym: regnbuehinne

References

“iris” in The Bokmål Dictionary.

Norwegian Nynorsk

Etymology

Borrowed from Ancient Greek ἶρις (îris, “rainbow”).

Noun

iris m (definite singular irisen, indefinite plural irisar, definite plural irisane)

(botany) an iris (flower)
(anatomy) an iris (part of the eye)
Synonym: regnbogehinne

References

“iris” in The Nynorsk Dictionary.

Old Irish

Pronunciation

IPA^(key): /ˈirʲisʲ/

Noun

iris

Alternative spelling of iriss: accusative/dative singular of ires

Mutation

Old Irish mutation
Radical	Lenition	Nasalization
iris	unchanged	n-iris
Note: Some of these forms may be hypothetical. Not every possible mutated form of every word actually occurs.

Portuguese

Noun

iris f (invariable)

Obsolete spelling of íris

Romanian

Etymology

Borrowed from French iris, Latin iris, from Ancient Greek ἶρις (îris).

Noun

iris n (plural irisuri)

(anatomy) iris (of the eye)

Declension

Declension of iris

	singular		plural
	indefinite articulation	definite articulation	indefinite articulation	definite articulation
nominative/accusative	(un) iris	irisul	(niște) irisuri	irisurile
genitive/dative	(unui) iris	irisului	(unor) irisuri	irisurilor
vocative	irisule		irisurilor

Noun

iris n (plural iriși)

(botany) iris (flower)
Synonyms: stânjenel, stânjen

Declension

Declension of iris

	singular		plural
	indefinite articulation	definite articulation	indefinite articulation	definite articulation
nominative/accusative	(un) iris	irisul	(niște) iriși	irișile
genitive/dative	(unui) iris	irisului	(unor) iriși	irișilor
vocative	irisule		irișilor

Scottish Gaelic

Etymology

(This etymology is missing or incomplete. Please add to it, or discuss it at the Etymology scriptorium.)Compare Irish iris.

Noun

iris f (genitive singular irise, plural irisean)

magazine, periodical
Synonym: ràitheachan

Mutation

Scottish Gaelic mutation
Radical	Eclipsis	with h-prothesis	with t-prothesis
iris	n-iris	h-iris	t-iris
Note: Some of these forms may be hypothetical. Not every possible mutated form of every word actually occurs.

Spanish

Etymology

Borrowed from Latin iris, Ancient Greek ἶρις (îris).

Pronunciation

IPA^(key): /ˈiɾis/ [ˈi.ɾis]
Rhymes: -iɾis
Syllabification: i‧ris

Noun

iris m (plural iris or írises)

(anatomy) iris

Derived terms

arco iris
músculo dilatador del iris

Related terms

íride
iridio

iris

English

Etymology

Pronunciation

Noun

Usage notes

Quotations

Derived terms

Related terms

Translations

Further reading

Verb

Derived terms

Anagrams

Bikol Central

Pronunciation

Noun

Catalan

Etymology

Pronunciation

Noun

Derived terms

Related terms

Further reading

Dutch

Etymology

Pronunciation

Noun

Esperanto

Pronunciation

Verb

French

Etymology

Pronunciation

Noun

Derived terms

Further reading

Ido

Pronunciation

Verb

Indonesian

Noun

Verb

Irish

Pronunciation

Etymology 1

Noun

Declension

Etymology 2

Noun

Declension

Alternative forms

Etymology 3

Noun

Declension

Derived terms

Related terms

Noun

Mutation

Further reading

Italian

Etymology

Pronunciation

Noun

Anagrams

Latin

Etymology 1

Pronunciation

Noun

Declension

Etymology 2

Pronunciation

Noun

Norwegian Bokmål

Etymology

Noun

References

Norwegian Nynorsk

Etymology

Noun