noun pl. irises i′ris·es

1. a rainbow
2. a rainbowlike show or play of colors
3. the round, pigmented membrane surrounding the pupil of the eye, having muscles that adjust the size of the pupil to regulate the amount of light entering the eye
4. any of a large genus (Iris) of perennial plants of the iris family, with sword-shaped leaves and conspicuous flowers composed of three petals and three drooping sepals of widely varying color
5. the flower of these plants

Etymology: LME < L < Gr iris (gen. iridos) < IE *wir- (> wire) < base *wei-, to turn, bend

adjective

noun

1. a feminine name
2. Gr. Myth. the goddess of the rainbow: in the Iliad, she is the messenger of the gods

Etymology: L < Gr Iris: see iris