iris

Definition from Wiktionary, a free dictionary

Wikipedia

Contents 1 English 1.1 Etymology 1.2 Pronunciation 1.3 Noun 1.3.1 Translations 1.3.2 Derived terms 1.3.3 Usage notes 1.3.4 Quotations 1.4 See also 2 Esperanto 2.1 Verb form 3 Indonesian 3.1 Noun 3.2 Verb 4 Italian 4.1 Noun 4.1.1 Synonyms 5 Spanish 5.1 Noun 5.1.1 Derived terms 6 French 6.1 Noun

[edit] English

[edit] Etymology

From Middle English, from Latin, from Ancient Greek ἶρις (iris), “‘rainbow’”).

[edit] Pronunciation

• enPR: ī'rĭs, IPA: /aɪrɪs/, SAMPA: /aIrIs/
•  Audio (US)^{help, file}

[edit] Noun

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

1. (countable) (botany) A plant of the genus Iris, common in the northern hemisphere, and generally having attractive blooms.
2. (poetic) A rainbow, or other colourful refraction of light.
3. (countable) (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.
4. (countable) (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.

[edit] Translations

[edit] Derived terms

• iridal
• iridial
• iridian
• iridium
• iridocyclitis
• iridology
• Iris (proper name)
• iritis

[edit] Usage notes

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

[edit] Quotations

plural iris

						1989 1996	2004
ME: [[{{{enm}}}]] «	15th c.	16th c.	17th c.	18th c.	19th c.	20th c.	21st c.

• 1989, Ann Lovejoy, The Year in Bloom [1]

  Is there anything more spectacular than the bearded iris in their short season?

• 1996, Katherine Grace Endicott, Northern California Gardening [2]

  Tall bearded iris are in bloom now.

• 2004, Diana Beresford-Kroeger, A Garden for Life [3]

  The bulbous iris are important because their early flowers provide a food source for bees and early flying insects.

plural irides

					1843	1989	2001
ME: [[{{{enm}}}]] «	15th c.	16th c.	17th c.	18th c.	19th c.	20th c.	21st c.

• 1843, The Penny Cyclopaedia of the Society for the Diffusion of Useful Knowledge

  In colour the irides are straw-yellow, the pupils black; forehead, nape, and back, very dark bluish-black; [...]

• 1989, Robert S Ridgely, The Birds of South America [4]

  As in the caciques, bills are sharply pointed and pale, while irides are usually pale blue.

• 2001, John V Forrester et al., The Eye [5]

  Later in life brown irides are the result of heavily pigmented melanocytes within the stroma.

plural irises

						1987 2000	2002
ME: [[{{{enm}}}]] «	15th c.	16th c.	17th c.	18th c.	19th c.	20th c.	21st c.

• 1987, Pamela Harper, Frederick McGourty, Perennials [6]

  Tall bearded irises are easy to grow but not always easy to grow well.

• 2000, Kevin C Voughn, Louisiana Iris [7]

  Most iris lovers feel that Louisiana irises are now large enough.

• 2002, John E Bryan, Bulbs [8]

  All these irises are sold as dry, dormant bulbs in fall.

[edit] See also

• Wikipedia article on the plant
• Wikipedia article on the part of the eye

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[edit] Esperanto

[edit] Verb form

iris (past tense of iri)

1. went

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[edit] Indonesian

[edit] Noun

iris

1. slice

[edit] Verb

mengiris

1. to slice

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[edit] Italian

[edit] Noun

iris m. or f. inv.

1. (botany) iris

[edit] Synonyms

• giaggiolo, iride

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[edit] Spanish

[edit] Noun

iris m. (plural irises)

1. (anatomy) iris

[edit] Derived terms

• arco iris

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[edit] French

[edit] Noun

iris m. (plural iris)

1. iris