plants with sword-shaped leaves and erect stalks bearing bright-colored flowers composed of three petals and three drooping sepals
"The gardener pruned back the old iris to make room for new bulbs."
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
"The surgeon carefully repaired the patient's damaged iris to restore proper control over the amount of light entering her eyes."
diaphragm consisting of thin overlapping plates that can be adjusted to change the diameter of a central opening
"The camera's iris acts as a diaphragm made of thin overlapping plates that adjust to control how much light enters through the lens."
A plant of the genus Iris, common in the northern hemisphere, and generally having attractive blooms (See Iris (plant) on Wikipedia.Wikipedia).
"The iris components were updated to improve the camera's focus speed in low-light conditions."
plural of IRI
In plain English: The iris is the colored part of your eye that controls how much light gets in by changing its size.
"The doctor asked her to look straight ahead so he could examine her iris with an ophthalmoscope."
Usage: Use "iris" as a noun to refer specifically to flowering plants known for their colorful petals rather than using it interchangeably with other flowers like tulips. When used as a verb, describe something opening and closing smoothly, such as camera shutters or eyelids mimicking the plant's structure.
To open or close in the manner of an iris.
"The heavy eyelids began to droop and then snap shut, opening and closing like a flower's iris."
In plain English: To iris means to change the size of your camera's aperture opening by moving its blades, which controls how much light enters and affects the focus.
"She will iris out her old photos from the attic to make space for new ones."
A messenger of the gods, and goddess of rainbows.
"In Greek mythology, Iris served as a swift messenger of the gods while also being revered as the goddess who created rainbows to connect heaven and earth."
The word "iris" entered Middle English directly from Latin and Ancient Greek, where it originally meant "rainbow." This connection likely stems from an ancient root meaning a twisted thread or cord, which is also the source of our modern word for metal strands.