IRIS

Iris

Iris is a genus of 260–300 species of flowering plants with showy flowers. It takes its name from the Greek word for a rainbow, referring to the wide variety of flower colors found among the many species. As well as being the scientific name, iris is also very widely used as a common name for all Iris species, though some plants called thus belong to other closely related genera. A common name for some species is 'flags', while the plants of the subgenus Scorpiris are widely known as 'junos', particularly in horticulture. It is a popular garden flower.

The above text is a snippet from Wikipedia: Iris (plant)
and as such is available under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

iris

Noun

(See Usage notes)
  1. A plant of the genus Iris, common in the northern hemisphere, and generally having attractive blooms ().
  2. The contractile membrane perforated by the pupil, which adjusts to control the amount of light reaching the retina, and which forms the colored portion of the eye ().
  3. A diaphragm used to regulate the size of a hole, especially as a way of controlling the amount of light reaching a lens.
  4. A rainbow, or other colourful refraction of light.
  5. A constricted opening in the path inside a waveguide, used to form a resonator.

Verb

  1. To open or close in the manner of an iris.



The above text is a snippet from Wiktionary: iris
and as such is available under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

Need help with a clue?
Try your search in the crossword dictionary!