Irisate
/ˈaɪ.rɪ.seɪt/noun
To color or shine with iridescent, rainbow-like hues.
Did you know?In Greek mythology, Iris was the rainbow goddess and divine messenger, so the word carries an ancient association with messages traveling between heaven and earth.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European, uncertain
PIE
Possibly related to a root meaning “to bend” or “curve”
“A debated prehistoric source possibly referring to the curved shape of a rainbow”
Ancient Greek
Greek
îris (ἶρις)
“Rainbow; also the rainbow goddess Iris”
Classical Greek
Greek
îris
“Rainbow-colored object, flower iris, or the colored part of the eye”
Latin
Latin
īris
“Rainbow; iris flower; colored part of the eye”
19th Century
English
irisate
“To make or become rainbow-colored, formed from iris with the verbal suffix -ate”
Modern English
English
irisate
“To display shifting, iridescent colors”