iridescencen.
/ɪrɪˈdɛsəns/ a. The quality of being iridescent; the intermingling and interchange of brilliant colours as in the rainbow, soap-bubbles, and mother-of-pearl; a play of glittering and changing colours.
ΘΚΠ
the world > matter > colour > variegation > iridescence > [noun]
waving1662
chatoyant1798
iridescence1804
pavonine1805
chatoyement1816
reflet1849
nacreness1862
iridization1884
nacreosity1931
1804 Philos. Trans. (Royal Soc.) 94 386 The shells..which still possess the lustre and iridescence of their original nacre.
1811 J. Pinkerton Petralogy I. 580 In the peacock coal of Wales or Somersetshire, this iridescence often assumes a strong resemblance of what are called the eyes in a peacock's tail.
1861 E. A. Beaufort Egypt. Sepulchres II. xvi. 31 Bits of ancient pottery and glass..with the iridescence of time very strongly marked upon it.
1863 J. Tyndall Heat i. 20 Nothing can exceed the splendour of the iridescences exhibited by many of these clouds.
1874 E. Coues Birds Northwest 291 The plumage..is peculiar..no other species of our country shows such a rich metallic iridescence.
b. figurative. Brilliant flashing of genius or character.
ΘΚΠ
the mind > mental capacity > understanding > intelligence, cleverness > high intelligence, genius > [noun]
wit1297
ingeny1474
inginea1522
ingenuity1600
flame1642
genius1749
iridescency1799
iridescence1803
brilliance1807
brilliancy1842
superintelligence1876
ingenium1879
1803 W. Taylor in Ann. Rev. 1 268 Occasional corruscations of wit, and frequent iridescences of fancy.
1876 ‘G. Eliot’ Daniel Deronda I. i. iv. 69 What may be called the iridescence of her character—the play of various, nay, contrary tendencies.
This entry has not yet been fully updated (first published 1900; most recently modified version published online March 2019).
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n.1803