Iridescence
/ˌɪr.ɪˈdɛs.əns/noun
A luminous optical effect in which a surface appears to change color with the angle of view or illumination.
Did you know?Iridescence comes from Latin iris, meaning both “rainbow” and the goddess Iris, the divine messenger who traveled between worlds on a rainbow.
Etymological Timeline
Ancient Greek
Greek
ἶρις (îris)
“rainbow; the goddess Iris”
Latin
Latin
īris
“rainbow; Iris, the rainbow goddess”
18th Century
New Latin / Scientific Latin
iridescentia
“a rainbow-like shimmering quality”
19th Century
English
iridescence
“the quality of showing changing colors like a rainbow”
Modern English
English
iridescence
“an optical effect producing shifting rainbow-like colors”