iris
/'aiəris/
Học thuậtThân thiện
Definition
- Noun:
- A colored part of the eye: The iris is the circular, colored membrane behind the cornea of the eye. It surrounds the pupil and controls its size, regulating the amount of light entering the eye.
- A type of flowering plant: An iris is a plant with long, sword-shaped leaves and showy flowers, typically with three upright petals and three drooping sepals.
- A diaphragm with an adjustable opening: In technical contexts, an iris is a thin, overlapping diaphragm with a central opening of variable diameter, used in devices like cameras.
Usage Examples
- Noun (Eye):
- The color of her iris is a striking shade of green.
- The doctor examined the patient's iris for signs of disease.
- Noun (Plant):
- She planted purple irises along the garden path.
- The iris is the state flower of Tennessee.
- Noun (Device):
- The camera's iris adjusts automatically to control the light.
Advanced Usage
- "Iris scanner": A biometric security device that identifies individuals by analyzing the unique patterns of their irises.
- The high-security facility uses an iris scanner for access control.
Variants and Related Words
- Iridology (n): The study of the iris of the eye, especially as associated with disease.
- Iridectomy (n): A surgical procedure to remove part of the iris.
- Irised (adj): Having colors like those of the iris or a rainbow; iridescent.
Synonyms
- For the eye part: (None are perfect anatomical synonyms)
- For the plant: Flag, fleur-de-lis.
- For the diaphragm: Aperture stop, diaphragm.
Related Phrases
- "Iris out" (Cinematography): A transition effect where the image closes to a black circle, mimicking the closing of an iris diaphragm.
- The old film ended with an iris out to black.
Related Idioms
- (No common idioms are directly based on the word "iris" itself.)
Noun
- diaphragm consisting of thin overlapping plates that can be adjusted to change the diameter of a central opening
- 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
- plants with sword-shaped leaves and erect stalks bearing bright-colored flowers composed of three petals and three drooping sepals