I·ris n.; pl. E. Irises L. Irides
 1. Class. Myth. The goddess of the rainbow, and swift-footed messenger of the gods.
 2. The rainbow.
 3. An appearance resembling the rainbow; a prismatic play of colors.
 4. Anat. The contractile membrane perforated by the pupil, and forming the colored portion of the eye. See Eye.
 5. Bot. 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. See Fleur-de-lis, 2.
 7. Zool. the inner circle of an oscillated color spot.
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