iris

iris — noun

1. a garden flower with tall, upright stems and colourful petals that appear in sha

1.nounB1
Definition

a garden flower with tall, upright stems and colourful petals that appear in shades such as white, blue, and purple.

Example

Mira planted a row of tall purple irises along the edge of her garden.

collocation: planted + irises

The yellow irises in the park bloomed early this year after the heavy spring rain.

collocation: irises bloom

Common collocations
  • plant irises
  • iris bulbs
  • iris flowers
  • blooming irises
  • purple irises
  • white irises
  • yellow irises
  • bouquet of irises
Synonyms
  • flag

    a term used for wild irises, especially those growing in wet or marshy ground

  • fleur-de-lis

    a stylised, three-petal design based on the iris flower, used in art and heraldry rather than for the living plant

2. the coloured ring of muscle inside the eye that makes the pupil larger or smalle

2.nounB1
Definition

the coloured ring of muscle inside the eye that makes the pupil larger or smaller to control how much light enters.

Example

The doctor examined the colour of Ishaan's iris with a small light.

collocation: colour of the iris

When the room grew darker, Ari's iris expanded to let more light reach the pupil.

iris expands / contracts to control light

Common collocations
  • iris colour
  • iris muscles
  • damage to the iris
  • iris expands
  • iris contracts
  • pupil

Usage Note

In everyday English, people usually talk about 'eye colour' rather than 'iris colour' (e.g. 'She has blue eyes' instead of 'She has blue irises'). The word 'iris' is more common in medical or scientific contexts.

Word family

  • irises
    nounB1
  • iridology
    nounC2

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

While 'iris' is the general name for any plant in the genus Iris, 'flag' refers to certain wild iris species, especially those that grow in wet ground near ponds or marshes. Gardeners and florists nearly always say 'iris' for the cultivated plant. 'Fleur-de-lis' is not a plant name at all — it is a stylised, three-petal design based on the iris flower and used widely in heraldry, French royal symbolism, and decorative art. If you see the image on a coat of arms or a flag, call it a 'fleur-de-lis', not an 'iris'. If you see the living plant growing in a garden, call it an 'iris'.

iris ↗flag ↗fleur-de-lis

Common collocations

Nouns

Prepositions

  • of the

Etymology

GreekLatinEnglish

The word comes from Latin 'iris', borrowed from Greek 'ἶρις' (iris), meaning 'rainbow'. The ancient Greeks named the flower after their goddess Iris, who was the messenger of the gods and the personification of the rainbow, because the flower appears in many colours. The eye part was later given the same name for the range of colours that human irises can display.