Link Centre Dictionary

iridescent

iri·des·cent

UK/ˌɪɹ.ɪˈdɛs.ənt/ US/ˌɪrʌˈdɛsʌnt/ uncommon

adjective

1.

varying in color when seen in different lights or from different angles

  • “changeable taffeta”
  • “chatoyant (or shot) silk”
  • “a dragonfly hovered, vibrating and iridescent”
Synonyms
Similar
2.

having a play of lustrous rainbow-like colors

  • “an iridescent oil slick”
  • “nacreous (or pearlescent) clouds looking like mother-of-pearl”
  • “a milky opalescent (or opaline) luster”
Synonyms
Similar

Origin

Coined around 1800, from Latin iris, iridis (“rainbow”) + -escent.

Phrases

  • iridescent cloud
  • iridescent shark
  • iridescent ware

WordNet 2.1 (Princeton University). Wiktionary (CC BY-SA). CMU Pronouncing Dictionary. WordNet 2.1 Copyright Princeton University. All rights reserved. Wiktionary content is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike Licence.