iris diaphragm

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English[edit]

Etymology[edit]

Its action is reminiscent of the iris of the eye.

Noun[edit]

iris diaphragm (plural iris diaphragms)

  1. An adjustable diaphragm by which the diameter of an approximately circular opening may be controlled, as for regulating the aperture of a lens; it consists of a number of movable thin curved plates fastened at regular intervals around the inside of a ring, the positions of which are simultaneously adjusted by a single knob on the outside of the lens. It is used in cameras and microscopes.

Translations[edit]