Printer Friendly
Dictionary, Encyclopedia and Thesaurus - The Free Dictionary
1,508,353,421 visitors served.
forum mailing list For webmasters
?
New: Language forums
Dictionary/
thesaurus
Medical
dictionary
Legal
dictionary
Financial
dictionary
Acronyms
 
Idioms
Encyclopedia
Wikipedia
encyclopedia
?

Iris

   Also found in: Medical, Acronyms, Encyclopedia, Wikipedia, Hutchinson 0.03 sec.
I·ris  (rs)
n. Greek Mythology
The goddess of the rainbow and messenger of the gods.

[Latin ris, from Greek, from ris, rainbow; see wei- in Indo-European roots.]

i·ris  (rs)
n. pl. i·ris·es or i·ri·des (r-dz, r-)
1. The pigmented, round, contractile membrane of the eye, suspended between the cornea and lens and perforated by the pupil. It regulates the amount of light entering the eye.
2. Any of numerous plants of the genus Iris, having narrow sword-shaped leaves and showy, variously colored flowers.
3. A rainbow or rainbowlike display of colors.
4. An iris diaphragm.

[Middle English, iris (the plant), from Latin ris, rid-, rainbow, iris (the plant), from Greek, rainbow, brightly-colored gemstone, iris of the eye; see wei- in Indo-European roots.]

iris
Noun
1. the coloured muscular membrane in the eye that surrounds and controls the size of the pupil
2. a tall plant with long pointed leaves and large flowers [Greek: rainbow]

iris  (rs)
Plural irises or irides (r-dz, r-)
The colored, muscular ring around the pupil of the eye in vertebrate animals, located between the cornea and lens. Contraction and expansion of the iris controls the size of the pupil, thereby regulating the amount of light reaching the retina.
ThesaurusLegend:  Synonyms Related Words Antonyms
Noun1.Irisiris - plants with sword-shaped leaves and erect stalks bearing bright-colored flowers composed of three petals and three drooping sepals
iridaceous plant - any bulbous plant of the family Iridaceae
genus Iris - large genus of perennials that develop from bulbs or rhizomes
bearded iris - any of numerous wild or cultivated irises with hairlike structures on the falls (the drooping sepals)
beardless iris - any of numerous wild or cultivated irises having no hairs on the drooping sepals (the falls)
bulbous iris - any of various irises having a rootstock formed like a bulb
Iris cristata, dwarf iris - low-growing summer-flowering iris of northeastern United States
gladdon, gladdon iris, Iris foetidissima, roast beef plant, stinking gladwyn, stinking iris - iris with purple flowers and foul-smelling leaves; southern and western Europe and North Africa
Iris persica, Persian iris - bulbous iris native to Asia Minor cultivated for its pale lilac-colored flowers
Iris pseudacorus, yellow flag, yellow iris, yellow water flag - common yellow-flowered iris of Europe and North Africa, naturalized in United States and often cultivated
dwarf iris, Iris verna, vernal iris - low-growing spring-flowering American iris with bright blue-lilac flowers
blue flag, Iris versicolor - a common iris of the eastern United States having blue or blue-violet flowers; root formerly used medicinally
Iris virginica, southern blue flag - similar to blue flag; the eastern United States
English iris, Iris xiphioides - bulbous iris native to the Pyrenees; widely cultivated for its large delicate flowers in various colors except yellow
2.iris - muscular diaphragm that controls the size of the pupil which in turn controls the amount of light that enters the eye; it forms the colored portion of the eye
eye, oculus, optic - the organ of sight
pupil - the contractile aperture in the center of the iris of the eye; resembles a large black dot
tissue layer, membrane - a pliable sheet of tissue that covers or lines or connects the organs or cells of animals or plants
3.Irisiris - diaphragm consisting of thin overlapping plates that can be adjusted to change the diameter of a central opening
diaphragm, stop - a mechanical device in a camera that controls size of aperture of the lens; "the new cameras adjust the diaphragm automatically"
Translations
iris [pl irises] [ˈaɪrɪs, -ɪz] n (ANAT) → iris m;
(BOT) → lirio

iris, irises [ˈaɪrɪs, -ɪz] niris m

iris [ˈaɪrɪs] [irises , pl ] n (Anat) → Iris f, Regenbogenhaut f;
(Bot) → Iris, Schwertlilie f

iris [ˈaɪrɪs, -ɪz] n [pl irises] → iride f;
(BOT) → giaggiolo, iride

iris
n iris [ˈaiəris]
1 the coloured part of the eye. iris قُزْحِيَّة العَيْن ирис duhovka regnbuehinde; iris die Iris ίριδα iris vikerkest عنبیه värikalvo iris קַשתִית आख की पुतली šarenica u oku szivárványhártya anak mata lithimna iride 虹彩 홍채 rainelė varavīksnene iris iris regnbuehinne tęczówka íris iris радужная оболочка dúhovka šarenica dužica iris ม่านตา gözbebeği etrafındaki renkli halka, iris 虹膜 райдужна оболонка آنکھ میں قرنیے کے پیچھے گول رنگدار جھلّی tròng đen
2 a kind of brightly-coloured flower with sword-shaped leaves. iris سَوْسَن перуника kosatec iris die Schwertlilie ίρις (το φυτό) lirio võhumõõk زنبق kurjenmiekka iris אִירִיס आइरिस नामक पौधा perunika, iris írisz bunga iris sverðlilja iris アイリス 붓꽃과의 식물 irisas īriss bunga iris lis iris, sverdlilje irys lírio iris ирис kosatec perunika iris iris, svärdslilja ดอกไอริส zambak, süsen 鳶尾屬植物 ірис, півники سوسن کی قسم کا کوئی پودا cây irit


How to thank TFD for its existence? Tell a friend about us, add a link to this page, add the site to iGoogle, or visit webmaster's page for free fun content.
?Page tools
Printer friendly
Cite / link
Email
Feedback
Add definition
? Mentioned in ? References in classic literature
 
"Walk with me a little way," he said, "and I will show you Iris before she starts.
On that road we heard the song of morning stars; we drank in fragrances aerial and sweet as a May mist; we were rich in gossamer fancies and iris hopes; our hearts sought and found the boon of dreams; the years waited beyond and they were very fair; life was a rose-lipped comrade with purple flowers dripping from her fingers.
The iris is extremely black while the eyeball itself is quite white and clear.
 
Dictionary/thesaurus browser? ? Full browser
 
 
Dictionary, Thesaurus, and Translations
?

Disclaimer | Privacy policy | Feedback | Copyright © 2009 Farlex, Inc.
All content on this website, including dictionary, thesaurus, literature, geography, and other reference data is for informational purposes only. This information should not be considered complete, up to date, and is not intended to be used in place of a visit, consultation, or advice of a legal, medical, or any other professional. Terms of Use.