irides

Noun

iris (plural irises or iris or irides)

1. A plant of the genus Iris, common in the northern hemisphere, and generally having attractive blooms (See Iris (plant) on Wikipedia.Wikipedia ).
   • 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...1907 August, Robert W[illiam] Chambers, “Afterglow”, in The Younger Set, New York, N.Y.: D. Appleton & Company, →OCLC, page 168

   Synonyms:

   fleur-de-lis

2. 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 ).
3. A diaphragm used to regulate the size of a hole, especially as a way of controlling the amount of light reaching a lens.
4. (poetic) A rainbow, or other colourful refraction of light.
5. A constricted opening in the path inside a waveguide, used to form a resonator.
6. The inner circle of an oscillated color spot.

See all 11 meanings of iris