Iriscope
/ˈaɪ.rɪs.koʊp/noun
An instrument for examining or photographing the iris of the eye.
Did you know?The eye’s iris was named from Ancient Greek îris, meaning “rainbow,” because its colors resemble the goddess Iris’s celestial arc; the device’s second half comes from Greek skopeîn, “to look at.”
Etymological Timeline
Ancient Greek
Greek
ἶρις (îris)
“Rainbow; later, the colored part of the eye”
Ancient Greek
Greek
σκοπεῖν (skopeîn)
“To look at, examine, or observe”
17th Century
English
-scope
“A combining form meaning an instrument for viewing or examining”
19th Century
English
iris
“The colored muscular diaphragm surrounding the pupil”
19th–20th Century
English
iriscope
“An instrument used to observe or record the iris”
Modern English
English
iriscope
“A device for examining or photographing the eye’s iris”
Explore more surprising origins