iridescent

adjective

ir·​i·​des·​cent ˌir-ə-ˈde-sᵊnt 

: having or exhibiting iridescence

iridescently adverb

Did you know?

Iris, the Greek goddess of the rainbow, took messages from Mount Olympus to earth, and from gods to mortals or other gods, using the rainbow as her stairway. Iridescence is thus the glowing, shifting, colorful quality of a rainbow, also seen in an opal, a light oil slick, a butterfly wing, or the mother-of-pearl that lines an oyster shell.

Synonyms

• nacreous
• opalescent
• pearlescent

Examples of iridescent in a Sentence

an iridescent soap bubble

Recent Examples on the Web

This causes flakes of glass to start separating from the surface, which creates an iridescent sheen. —Sarah Kuta, Smithsonian Magazine, 31 Oct. 2024

Go sweet and whimsical with iridescent or glittery finishes to add some interest to unsaturated shades like spearmint, lilac, and baby blue. —Halee Miller Van Ryswyk, Better Homes & Gardens, 31 Oct. 2024

Finally, the back of the dress featured an oversized bow in the same black iridescent material as the bodice. —Nick Hall, WWD, 25 Oct. 2024

Grackles may appear black from afar, but a closer look reveals their glossy, iridescent feathers have hues of green, blue and purple. —Ramon Padilla, USA TODAY, 23 Oct. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Greek īrid-, îris "rainbow, iridescent halo around the moon, a flame, etc." + -escent — more at iris entry 1

First Known Use

1796, in the meaning defined above

Kids Definition

iridescent

adjective

ir·​i·​des·​cent ˌir-ə-ˈdes-ᵊnt 

: having or showing iridescence

iridescently adverb

Medical Definition

iridescent

adjective

ir·​i·​des·​cent ˌir-ə-ˈdes-ᵊnt 

: having or exhibiting a display of colors producing rainbow effects

iridescence

-ᵊn(t)s 

noun