IRISING

Verb

irising

present participle of iris

Source: Wiktionary


IRIS

I"ris, n.; pl. E. Irises, L. Irides. Etym: [L. iris, iridis, the goddess, Gr. Orris.]

1. (Class. Myth.)

Definition: The goddess of the rainbow, and swift-footed messenger of the gods. Shak.

2. The rainbow. Sir T. Browne.

3. An appearance resembling the rainbow; a prismatic play of colors. Tennyson.

4. (Anat.)

Definition: The contractile membrane perforated by the pupil, and forming the colored portion of the eye. See Eye.

5. (Bot.)

Definition: A genus of plants having showy flowers and bulbous or tuberous roots, of which the flower-de-luce (fleur-de-lis), orris, and other species of flag are examples. See Illust. of Flower-de-luce.

6. (Her.)

Definition: See Fleur-de-lis, 2.

Source: Webster’s Unabridged Dictionary 1913 Edition



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Word of the Day

3 May 2025

DESIRABLE

(adjective) worth having or seeking or achieving; “a desirable job”; “computer with many desirable features”; “a desirable outcome”


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Coffee Trivia

The expression “coffee break” was first attested in 1952 in glossy magazine advertisements by the Pan-American Coffee Bureau.

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