What is the difference between iris and iridium?
iris | iridium | Derived terms |
(lb) A plant of the genus Iris , common in the northern hemisphere, and generally having attractive blooms ().
*
*:Breezes blowing from beds of iris quickened her breath with their perfume; she saw the tufted lilacs sway in the wind, and the streamers of mauve-tinted wistaria swinging, all a-glisten with golden bees; she saw a crimson cardinal winging through the foliage, and amorous tanagers flashing like scarlet flames athwart the pines.
(lb) 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 ().
A diaphragm used to regulate the size of a hole, especially as a way of controlling the amount of light reaching a lens.
(lb) A rainbow, or other colourful refraction of light.
(lb) A constricted opening in the path inside a waveguide, used to form a resonator.
For the flower both iris'' and ''irises are in common use.
1996, 2000s=2004}} * 1989, Ann Lovejoy, The Year in Bloom [http://books.google.com/books?ie=UTF-8&hl=en&id=B2WnTx8ZSXoC&pg=PA107&lpg=PA107&sig=kTR265orMNqHigdpkspkvz5gF8c] *: Is there anything more spectacular than the bearded iris in their short season? * 1996, Katherine Grace Endicott, Northern California Gardening [http://books.google.com/books?ie=UTF-8&hl=en&id=2Orl1AcbaT4C&pg=PA138&lpg=PA138&sig=sRNZY7Jc53QpEqCrkaHoFKHx7_g] *: Tall bearded iris are in bloom now. * 2004, Diana Beresford-Kroeger, A Garden for Life [http://print.google.com/print?id=0sPBOVSC2MUC&pg=PA84&lpg=PA84&sig=bEEefwPluRvCp36e6pF5AkExCKk] *: The bulbous iris are important because their early flowers provide a food source for bees and early flying insects. plural irides {{timeline, 1800s=1843, 1900s=1989, 2000s=2001}} * 1843, The Penny Cyclopaedia of the Society for the Diffusion of Useful Knowledge *: In colour the irides are straw-yellow, the pupils black; forehead, nape, and back, very dark bluish-black; [...] * 1989, Robert S Ridgely, The Birds of South America [http://books.google.com/books?ie=UTF-8&hl=en&id=tRBb15pk4w0C&pg=RA1-PA374&lpg=RA1-PA374&sig=PZFkFg4LIlBDqSgZ7Z7DnYYha6M] *: As in the caciques, bills are sharply pointed and pale, while irides are usually pale blue. * 2001, John V Forrester et al., The Eye [http://books.google.com/books?ie=UTF-8&hl=en&id=CTltcMRq8_QC&pg=PA121&lpg=PA121&sig=oUK2_xiWqgcZ-USI7UBo0HxuBy4] *: Later in life brown irides are the result of heavily pigmented melanocytes within the stroma. plural irises {{timeline, 1900s=1987
2000, 2000s=2002}} * 1987, Pamela Harper, Frederick McGourty, Perennials [http://books.google.com/books?ie=UTF-8&hl=en&id=Mi5_h7ryCi0C&pg=PA109&lpg=PA109&sig=8_7tj1vGAjqwhPowAsYKQyL0QE8] *: Tall bearded irises are easy to grow but not always easy to grow well. * 2000, Kevin C Voughn, Louisiana Iris [http://books.google.com/books?ie=UTF-8&hl=en&id=4-T1HH-X1_sC&pg=PA44&lpg=PA44&sig=D957MQkQUZqTgY7ex8mGf0R6Wa4] *: Most iris lovers feel that Louisiana irises are now large enough. * 2002, John E Bryan, Bulbs [http://books.google.com/books?ie=UTF-8&hl=en&id=v-h4dovkqxgC&pg=PA296&lpg=PA296&sig=Oj6ubuGG706mBqxu_tKlzU90Q-0] *: All these irises are sold as dry, dormant bulbs in fall. A metallic chemical element (symbol Ir) with an atomic number of 77.
Iridium is a derived term of iris.
Iris is a related term of iridium.
As nouns the difference between iris and iridium
is that iris is (botany) a plant of the genus iris , common in the northern hemisphere, and generally having attractive blooms () while iridium is a metallic chemical element (symbol ir) with an atomic number of 77.As a verb iris
is to open or close in the manner of an iris.iris
English
("iris" on Wikipedia)Noun
(See Usage notes)Usage notes
For the part of the eye, the usual medical plural is irides.For the flower both iris'' and ''irises are in common use.
Quotations
plural iris {{timeline, 1900s=19891996, 2000s=2004}} * 1989, Ann Lovejoy, The Year in Bloom [http://books.google.com/books?ie=UTF-8&hl=en&id=B2WnTx8ZSXoC&pg=PA107&lpg=PA107&sig=kTR265orMNqHigdpkspkvz5gF8c] *: Is there anything more spectacular than the bearded iris in their short season? * 1996, Katherine Grace Endicott, Northern California Gardening [http://books.google.com/books?ie=UTF-8&hl=en&id=2Orl1AcbaT4C&pg=PA138&lpg=PA138&sig=sRNZY7Jc53QpEqCrkaHoFKHx7_g] *: Tall bearded iris are in bloom now. * 2004, Diana Beresford-Kroeger, A Garden for Life [http://print.google.com/print?id=0sPBOVSC2MUC&pg=PA84&lpg=PA84&sig=bEEefwPluRvCp36e6pF5AkExCKk] *: The bulbous iris are important because their early flowers provide a food source for bees and early flying insects. plural irides {{timeline, 1800s=1843, 1900s=1989, 2000s=2001}} * 1843, The Penny Cyclopaedia of the Society for the Diffusion of Useful Knowledge *: In colour the irides are straw-yellow, the pupils black; forehead, nape, and back, very dark bluish-black; [...] * 1989, Robert S Ridgely, The Birds of South America [http://books.google.com/books?ie=UTF-8&hl=en&id=tRBb15pk4w0C&pg=RA1-PA374&lpg=RA1-PA374&sig=PZFkFg4LIlBDqSgZ7Z7DnYYha6M] *: As in the caciques, bills are sharply pointed and pale, while irides are usually pale blue. * 2001, John V Forrester et al., The Eye [http://books.google.com/books?ie=UTF-8&hl=en&id=CTltcMRq8_QC&pg=PA121&lpg=PA121&sig=oUK2_xiWqgcZ-USI7UBo0HxuBy4] *: Later in life brown irides are the result of heavily pigmented melanocytes within the stroma. plural irises {{timeline, 1900s=1987
2000, 2000s=2002}} * 1987, Pamela Harper, Frederick McGourty, Perennials [http://books.google.com/books?ie=UTF-8&hl=en&id=Mi5_h7ryCi0C&pg=PA109&lpg=PA109&sig=8_7tj1vGAjqwhPowAsYKQyL0QE8] *: Tall bearded irises are easy to grow but not always easy to grow well. * 2000, Kevin C Voughn, Louisiana Iris [http://books.google.com/books?ie=UTF-8&hl=en&id=4-T1HH-X1_sC&pg=PA44&lpg=PA44&sig=D957MQkQUZqTgY7ex8mGf0R6Wa4] *: Most iris lovers feel that Louisiana irises are now large enough. * 2002, John E Bryan, Bulbs [http://books.google.com/books?ie=UTF-8&hl=en&id=v-h4dovkqxgC&pg=PA296&lpg=PA296&sig=Oj6ubuGG706mBqxu_tKlzU90Q-0] *: All these irises are sold as dry, dormant bulbs in fall.