iris
A plant of the genus Iris, common in the northern hemisphere, and generally having attractive blooms (See Iris (plant)).
Other meanings
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)).
A diaphragm used to regulate the size of a hole, especially as a way of controlling the amount of light reaching a lens.
A kind of
- membrane
Related words
- autoiris
- irisless
- irisresorcinol
- bowltube iris
- copper iris
- iris diaphragm
- iris dilator muscle
- iris in
- iris out
- iris shot
- iris-skipper
- bearded iris
Word history
From Ancient Greek "ἶρις" (rainbow).
Where this comes from
This definition is adapted from “iris” on Wiktionary, by its contributors; related-word lists use Open English WordNet (CC BY 4.0, based on Princeton WordNet), published under CC BY-SA 4.0. This page is published under the same licence.