What does iris mean?
Iris has several related meanings, with its best-known everyday use referring to the colored part of the human eye. By adjusting the size of the pupil, the iris regulates how much light reaches the retina, helping vision work in bright or dim conditions. The word also denotes a widely cultivated ornamental flower known for sword-like leaves and elegant blooms in colors such as purple, blue, yellow, and white. In classical mythology, Iris is a messenger goddess associated with the rainbow, and the word “iris” itself can refer to a rainbow. The shared theme is color and visual radiance: the eye's iris, the flower’s petals, and the rainbow all have striking chromatic associations. The term is common in medicine, horticulture, mythology, heraldry, and personal naming.
nounThe iris is the colored, muscular part of the eye that controls the amount of light entering the pupil. The word also names a family of flowers with sword-shaped leaves and showy blooms, and refers to the Greek mythological figure associated with the rainbow.
- The colored, muscular membrane in the eye that surrounds the pupil and adjusts the amount of light entering it.
- Any of a large group of perennial flowers with sword-shaped leaves and distinctive, often vividly colored blooms.
- In Greek mythology, the messenger goddess who links the heavens and the earth and is often identified with the rainbow.
- The rainbow itself, especially in literary or heraldic contexts.
"She admired the changing colors of the iris in the morning light."
"The doctor shone a light into her eye to examine the iris."
"A purple iris opened beside the garden path."
"In the myth, Iris carried messages between the gods and mortals."
“Irises” is the standard plural for both the eye's iris and the flowering plant.
"The ophthalmologist examined both irises for signs of inflammation."
The word iris links a rainbow, the eye's colorful regulator, and a flower named for both.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does iris come from?
The English word comes through Latin from Ancient Greek ἴρις (iris), meaning “rainbow.” In Greek mythology, Iris was a messenger goddess, while the same name was also used for the rainbow because its many colors were thought to form an arc in the sky. The name was later applied to the colored part of the eye and to a flowering plant, both of which likewise have conspicuous colors.
Related word forms
How iris is actually used
In medical and anatomical contexts, “iris” refers specifically to the front portion of the eye's vascular tunic. “Iris” is also a common personal name and the name of a Greek goddess, normally written with a capital letter in the mythological sense.