iridescent

• POS: Adjective
• HYPHEN: ir=i=des=cent

CIDE DICTIONARY

iridescent, a. [L. iris, iridis, the rainbow: cf. F. iridescent.].

 Having colors like the rainbow; exhibiting a play of changeable colors; nacreous; prismatic; as, iridescent glass. See iridescence.  [1913 Webster]

OXFORD DICTIONARY

iridescent, adj.
1 showing rainbow-like luminous or gleaming colours.
2 changing colour with position.

Derivative

iridescence n. iridescently adv.

Etymology

L IRIS + -ESCENT

THESAURUS

iridescent

burele, chatoyant, creamy, delicate, eggshell, flat, gloss, iridal, iridial, iridian, irisated, irised, light, mellow, moire, mother-of-pearl, nacre, nacred, nacreous, nacry, opalescent, opaline, opaloid, pale, pastel, patinaed, pavonian, pavonine, pearl-like, pearlish, pearly, quiet, rainbowlike, rainbowy, sad, semigloss, simple, sober, soft, soft-colored, soft-hued, softened, somber, subdued, subtle, sweet, tender, tortoise-shell

ROGET THESAURUS

iridescent

Variegation

N variegation, colors, dichroism, trichroism, iridescence, play of colors, polychrome, maculation, spottiness, striae, spectrum, rainbow, iris, tulip, peacock, chameleon, butterfly, tortoise shell, mackerel, mackerel sky, zebra, leopard, cheetah, nacre, ocelot, ophite, mother-of-pearl, opal, marble, check, plaid, tartan, patchwork, marquetry-, parquetry, mosaic, tesserae, strigae, chessboard, checkers, chequers, harlequin, Joseph's coat, tricolor, variegated, many-colored, many-hued, divers-colored, party- colored, dichromatic, polychromatic, bicolor, tricolor, versicolor, of all the colors of the rainbow, of all manner of colors, kaleidoscopic, iridescent, opaline, opalescent, prismatic, nacreous, pearly, shot, gorge de pigeon, chatoyant, irisated, pavonine, pied, piebald, motley, mottled, marbled, pepper and salt, paned, dappled, clouded, cymophanous, mosaic, tesselated, plaid, tortoise shell, spotted, spotty, punctated, powdered, speckled, freckled, flea-bitten, studded, flecked, fleckered, striated, barred, veined, brinded, brindled, tabby, watered, grizzled, listed, embroidered, daedal, naevose, stipiform, strigose, striolate, (iii) PERCEPTIONS OF LIGHT.