▪ I. iris, n.
(ˈaɪərɪs)
Pl. irides (ˈaɪərɪdiːz), irises.
[a. Gr. ἶρις, stem ἰριδ-. The senses (except 3 and 6) correspond to those of the Gr. word; so also F. iris. The pl. irides is chiefly used in sense 4.]
1. Gr. Myth. The goddess who acted as the messenger of the gods, and was held to display as her sign, or appear as, the rainbow; hence, allusively, a messenger.
| 1593 Shakes. 2 Hen. VI, iii. ii. 407 Wheresoere thou art in this worlds Globe, Ille haue an Iris that shall finde thee out. |
2. a. A rainbow; a many-coloured refraction of light from drops of water.
| 1490 Caxton Eneydos xxviii. 109 Yris..is the rayen bowe wyth hir fayr cote of dyuerse fygures. 1582 T. Watson Centurie of Loue vii. (Arb.) 43 Each eybrowe hanges like Iris in the skies. 1606 Shakes. Tr. & Cr. i. iii. 380 His Crest, that prouder then blew Iris bends. 1742 Young Nt. Th. ii. 21 The good Deed would..half-impress On my dark Cloud an Iris. 1782 Tunstall in Phil. Trans. LXXIII. 103 No lunar Iris, I ever heard or read of, lasted near so long as that on the 18th instant. 1831 Brewster Optics xiii. 110 Illuminating its perimeter like two mock suns in the opposite parts of an iris. |
b. transf. A rainbow-like or iridescent appearance; a circle or halo of prismatic colours; a combination or alternation of brilliant colours.
| 1601 Shakes. All's Well i. iii. 158 What's the matter, That this distempered messenger of wet, The manie colour'd Iris rounds thine eye [cf. Lucrece 1586]? 1665 Phil. Trans. I. 2 He useth three Eye-Glasses for his great Telescopes, without finding any Iris, or such Rain-bow colors as do usually appear in ordinary Glasses. 1670 R. Lassels Voy. Italy ii. 340 Pretious stones of seueral sorts and Lustures..composeing a rich Iris of seueral colours. 1760–72 tr. Juan & Ulloa's Voy. (ed. 3) I. 442 We saw, as in a looking-glass, the image of each of us, the head being as it were the centre of three concentrick iris's. 1842 Tennyson Locksley Hall 19 In the Spring a livelier iris changes on the burnish'd dove. |
c. fig.| 1821 Shelley Hellas 43 If Liberty Lent not life its soul of light, Hope its iris of delight. 1834 Disraeli Rev. Epick ii. xiii, Is Virtue but a shade? And Freedom but the iris of a storm? 1878 B. Taylor Deukalion i. ii. 26 Print thy soft iris on white wings of prayer. |
3. a. A hexagonal prismatic crystal (mentioned by Pliny
Nat. Hist. xxxvii. ix. 52).
b. ‘Applied by French jewellers to a variety of rock-crystal, possessing the property of reflecting the prismatic colours by means of natural flaws in the interior of the stone’ (Westropp
Precious Stones).
Opinions differ as to the identity of these, some taking the former as ‘the prismatic crystals of limpid quartz, which decompose the rays of the sun’ (Westropp).
| 1387 Trevisa Higden (Rolls) I. 337 Also þere [in Ireland] groweþ þat stoon Saxagonus, and is i-cleped Iris also, as it were þe reynebowe. c 1400 Mandeville xxviii. (1839) 219 The white ben of cristalle and of berylle and of Iris. 1563 W. Fulke Meteors (1640) 36 The image of the Rayne-bow may bee seen on a wall, the Sunne striking thorow a six-pointed stone, called Iris, or any other Christall of the same fashion. 1601 Holland Pliny II. 623 Next after the Ceraunia, there is a stone named Iris: digged out of the ground it is in a certain Isle of the red sea... For the most part it resembleth Crystal... If the beams of the Sun strike vpon it directly within house, it sendeth from it against the wals that be near, the very resemblance of a rainbow both in form and colour. 1646 Sir T. Browne Pseud. Ep. ii. iv. 78 Diamonds, Saphyres, Carbuncles, Iris, Opalls. 1748 Sir J. Hill Hist. Fossils 179 The Iris, or Rain-bow Crystal of authors. 1861 Bristow Gloss. Min. 191 Rock Crystal can be made into Iris. 1874 Westropp Prec. Stones 90 Hyaline quartz iridized internally (called at the present day iris). |
4. a. Anat. A flat, circular, coloured membrane suspended vertically in the aqueous humour of the eye, and separating the anterior from the posterior chamber; in its centre is a circular opening, called the pupil, which may be enlarged or diminished so as to regulate the amount of light transmitted to the retina.
The colour of the iris, blue, brown, grey, etc., is what is known as the colour of the eye.
| 1525 tr. Jerome of Brunswick's Surg. B j b/2 There be iij. materyall circles y{supt} ronne about the iye, and because they be so different of colours they be callyd yride[s] or rain bowys. 1619 Purchas Microcosmus viii. 90 This Centre is enuironed with a Circle, called Iris, of many colours in Man onely. 1777 Darwin in Phil. Trans. LXVIII. 87 There was no perceptible difference in the diameter of the irises. 1881 Mivart Cat 473 An iris capable of contracting its aperture to a vertical linear slit. 1881 E. Cope in Knowledge (1883) 136/2 The colour of the skin, hair, and irides. |
b. (
transf.)
Entom. The inner ring of an ocellated spot on an insect's wing; usually lighter than the outer ring, and the central spot or pupil.
| 1826 Kirby & Spence Entomol. III. 727 Caudate wing. Pupil. Iris. 1838 Westwood Entomol. Text Bk. 278 Eyelets (Ocelli),..the centre..is termed the pupil, and is surrounded by the iris. |
c. Photogr. = iris-diaphragm; also
attrib. Also
iris-in n.,
iris-out n. (see
quot. 1959): both used as
vbs. Also
transf. and
fig.| 1911 C. N. Bennett et al. Handbk. Kinematogr. i. iv. 28 In the form of lens attached to kinematograph cameras, alteration of diaphragm is effected by the movement of a ring or pin on the lens mount which causes the ‘iris’ inside to open and close like the iris of a cat's eye, except that the hole in the middle always remains circular in shape. 1929 I. Montagu tr. Pudovkin's On Film Technique App. 191 The author gives..the iris-in and iris-out, mentioning what is called the fade only as a variant. 1934 Webster, Iris, to operate the iris of a camera so as to fade (a picture). With in or out. 1958 Spectator 6 June 730/3 He can iris himself in and out of the scene at will. 1959 W. S. Sharps Dict. Cinematogr. 104/2 Iris-in, the film wipe, in which the image viewed progressively disappears and at the same time is replaced by another, moving from the centre of the frame outwards in the form of a circle. Ibid., Iris-out, the film wipe, in which the image viewed progressively disappears and is replaced by another from the outside of the frame, moving inwards in the form of a circle. 1961 K. Reisz Technique Film Editing (ed. 9) iii. 246 An iris may on occasion introduce or close a shot in a more telling way than a fade. 1962 B.B.C. Handbook 119 The control of the zooming, focusing, and iris setting, of a television camera. 1966 Wodehouse Plum Pie vii. 177 After a terrific struggle the hood called it a day and irised out. 1968 Blish & Knight Torrent of Faces ii. vii. 137 Fongaváro glided silently through the Rest Stop door, which irised shut as silently behind him. 1969 Gish & Pinchot Lilian Gish xi. 145 The scene of Sherman's march to the sea opened with an iris shot—a small area. Ibid., Slowly the iris opened wider to reveal a great panorama. 1972 Wodehouse Pearls, Girls, & Monty Bodkin vii. 102 When a bunch of flatfeet burst in with their uncouth cry of ‘Everybody keep their seats, please,’ the thing to do is to iris out unobtrusively through the kitchen. |
5. Bot. A genus of plants, the type of the natural order
Iridaceæ, natives of Europe, N. Africa, and the temperate regions of Asia and America; most of the species have tuberous (less commonly bulbous or fibrous) roots, sword-shaped equitant leaves, and showy flowers; formerly often called Fleur-de-lis or Flower-de-luce. Also, a plant of this genus.
blue iris,
Iris germanica, the German Flag, a common cultivated species;
fetid iris, the Gladden,
Iris fœtidissima;
Florentine iris = white iris;
stinking iris = fetid iris;
white iris,
Iris florentina, from which orrisroot is obtained;
yellow iris, the Yellow Flag,
Iris Pseudacorus, the common British species.
| [1562 Turner Herbal. ii. 23 a, Iris is knowen both of the Grecianes and Latines by that name; it is called..in Englishe flour de lyce.] 1578 Lyte Dodoens ii. xxxv. 192 There be many kindes of Iris, or floure Deluce. Ibid., The stincking Iris, and the yellow Iris. Ibid. 193 The Irides or flower Deluces do most commonly flower about May. 1667 Milton P.L. iv. 698 Each beauteous flour, Iris all hues, Roses, and Gessamin. 1741 Compl. Fam. Piece ii. iii. 383 Transplant your..Persian and bulbous Iris's. 1850 Tennyson In Mem. ciii, We glided winding under ranks Of iris, and the golden reed. 1882 Garden 3 June 385/3 The drought of the past week has burnt up the Irises. 1886 Pall Mall G. 2 Oct. 4 The plains were ornamented with dwarfed blue irides. |
6. Astron. Name of the seventh of the asteroids.
| 1858 Penny Cycl. 2nd Supp. 708/1 Minor planets..Iris..[discoverer] Hind..[date of discovery] August 13, 1847. |
7. attrib. and
Comb., as (sense 2)
iris-colour,
iris-glow,
iris-gradation,
iris-ornament,
iris-ring,
iris-tint; also
iris-coloured,
iris-hued,
iris-like adjs.; (sense 4)
iris-forceps,
iris-hook,
iris-knife,
iris-scissors (used in surgical operations on the iris); (sense 5)
iris-blossom,
iris blue,
iris-family,
iris-flower,
iris green,
iris-root; also
iris-camphor, an ethereal oil obtained from iris-roots (
Syd. Soc. Lex. 1887);
iris-coffee, the seeds of
Iris pseudacorus, used as a substitute for coffee (
ibid.);
iris diagnosis = iridiagnosis;
iris-diaphragm, a contractile diaphragm for lenses, contrived so as to imitate the action of the iris;
iris-disease, a form of herpes, generally affecting the back of the hands;
iris-root, the root of
Iris florentina, orris-root;
iris-swallow, a swallow of the sub-genus
Iridoprocne, having iridescent plumage.
| 1899 Edin. Rev. Jan. 30 The tall grass, green herb and leaf, the *iris blossoms. |
| 1908 F. Treves Cradle of Deep x. 57 A West Indian island..rising aloft from an *iris-blue sea. |
| 18.. Dana Min. (L.), The tarnish and *iris colours of minerals are owing to a thin surface film. 1869 Tyndall Notes Lect. Light 58 With white light the circles display iris-colours. |
| Ibid. 74 A series of *iris-coloured bands. |
| 1921 Glasgow Herald 17 Feb. 9 *Iris diagnosis and its relation to true health. 1938 H. Orbell (title) The science of iris-diagnosis. |
| 1867 Trans. R. Miscrosc. Soc. XV. 74 (heading) *Iris diaphragm proving the circular form whether expanding or contracting. a 1877 Knight Dict. Mech. II. 1195/2 Iris-diaphragm, a contractile diaphragm, simulating the action of the natural iris. 1889 Anthony's Photogr. Bull. II. 66 These lenses may be had with iris diaphragms. 1890 Ibid. III. 119 Iris diaphragms applied to photographic lenses are a recent reintroduction. |
| 1836 Macgillivray tr. Humboldt's Trav. xxi. 304 Covered with rushes and plants of the *Iris family. |
| 1818 Shelley Marenghi xxiv. 5 The coarse bulbs of *iris-flowers. |
| 1874 Lawson Dis. Eye 144 He draws out with a pair of *iris forceps the corresponding segment of the iris. |
| 1823 Mrs. Hemans Last Constantine lxxiv, Such an *iris-glow as emulates the skies. |
| 1862 Thornbury Turner I. 357 Tender *iris-gradations of colour. |
| 1875 E. Spon Workshop Receipts 95/1 *Iris green, a pigment prepared by grinding the juice of the petals of the blue flag with quicklime. It is very fugitive. 1880 Encycl. Brit. XIII. 276/2 From the flowers of Iris florentina a pigment—the ‘verdelis’, ‘vert d'iris’, or iris-green, formerly used by miniature painters—was prepared by maceration. |
| 1887 Fenn Master of Cerem. i, Delivering its take of *iris-hued mackerel. |
| 1839–47 Todd Cycl. Anat. III. 346/2 The *iris-knife is a convenient size and form for many purposes. |
| 1849 H. Mayo Truths Pop. Superst. ii. 26 Returning hope shone, *Iris-like, amid her falling tears. |
| 1863 Tyndall Heat xv. (1870) 539 A series of most splendidly-coloured *iris-rings. |
| 1673 Grew Anat. Roots i. i. §11 Some Parts of *Iris-root appear oftentimes above the ground. |
| 1874 Lawson Dis. Eye 158 Through the wound in the cornea the blades of a pair of fine *iris scissors may be introduced. |
| 1864 Sala in Daily Tel. 5 Dec., The snow was all bathed in *iris tints. |
▸
iris recognition n. a system used for the identification of individuals, in which the pattern of features in the iris of the eye is recorded photographically and encoded.
| 1986 PCT Patents Rep., T 4/3 The system for performing *iris recognition may include a processor which controls an illumination control circuit. 1998 Daily Tel. (Electronic ed.) 24 Apr. At the counter, the iris recognition device eliminates the need for a signature to withdraw cash. 2005 Independent (Nexis) 28 June 16 American officials had demanded only that biometric passports contain a digital picture of the holder, not the facial scan, fingerprints and even iris recognition data proposed under the British ID card scheme. |
▸
iris scan n. the pattern of features in the iris of a person's eye, as recorded and encoded by an iris scanner; the act of scanning a person's iris in order to obtain such a record or to corroborate their identity.
| 1995 Washington Times (Nexis) 16 Apr. a11 (heading) Iris scan... An ordinary video camera captures the burrows, freckles, rings and filaments that make the eye's lens unique. 1997 Daily Tel. 30 Dec. 1/1 Although the code will initially be a PIN number, researchers are hoping to allow an individual to be identified by a fingerprint, an iris scan, or even a DNA sample. 2005 Washington Post (Nexis) 5 Feb. e1 One of the three times he tried to use the machine that reads fingerprints and iris scans of registered travelers, it was broken. |
▸
iris scanner n. a device or system that records the pattern of features in the iris of the eye (
quot. 1990 refers to a fictional device).
| 1990 R. L. Forward Rocheworld 24 Both palms on the slanted glass plates and both eyes in the rubber cups of the *iris scanner. 1996 Business News (New Jersey) (Nexis) 11 Dec. 9 Sensar is expected to announce a major deal shortly for the installation of ATM machines equipped with iris scanners. 2001 Time 26 Nov. 82/2 Iris scanners..are enhancing security at airports. |
▸
iris scanning n. The action or process of scanning the iris of a person's eye for identification purposes.
| 1994 IEEE Spectrum Feb. 22/2 *Iris scanning..can be done from a more comfortable distance. 1995 Internat. Jrnl. Retail & Distribution Managem. (Nexis) May 3 The major advantage of the iris-scanning technique over retinal scanning is that it does not require the user to focus on a target, because the iris pattern is on the eye's surface. 2003 Independent 6 May i. 4/8 The G8 ministers endorsed a call by Britain for their nations to use biometric data—such as fingerprints and iris scanning—to prevent the forgery of travel documents and passports. |
▪ II. iris, v. (
ˈaɪərɪs)
[f. prec. Cf. F. iriser.] trans. To make iridescent; to form into, or place as, a rainbow. Only in
pa. pple.| 1816 Cleaveland Min. 558 Its color is a light lead gray, often tarnished with a tinge of yellow, and sometimes irised. 1856 Ruskin Mod. Paint. IV. v. v. §21 The wreaths of fitful vapour..irised around the pillars of waterfalls. 1894 Outing (U.S.) Aug. 348/2 Watch the bubbles go and come Irised on the crystal stream. |