French word

iris

Pronunciation

IPA/iʁis/

Meaning

  • masculine nouniris

Example

Il y a des iris dans le jardin.

There are irises in the garden.

Illustration for iris (iris)

More examples

Je vais planter des iris près de la terrasse.

I am going to plant irises near the terrace.

Core concept

A vivid fan of petals, echoed by the colored ring at the center of an eye.

Common phrases

  • planter des iris

    plant irises

  • cueillir des iris

    pick irises

  • un iris en pot

    a potted iris

Similar words

fleur: The flowering part of a plant.
rose: A fragrant flower with layered petals and a thorny stem.
tulipe: A colorful spring flower with cup-shaped petals grown from a bulb.
lys: A fragrant flower with large, elegant petals, often white or pale.

Definition in French

Plante à fleurs du genre Iris, souvent cultivée pour ses grandes fleurs colorées visibles au printemps.

Word origin

French iris comes through Latin iris from Greek iris, meaning 'rainbow', a name linked to the flower's varied colors and the eye's colored ring.

Usage tips

  • The French noun is masculine: un iris, including when it means the colored part of the eye.

Word lists with this word