iridescence

[ ir-i-des-uhns ]

/ ˌɪr ɪˈdɛs əns /

SEE SYNONYMS FOR iridescence ON THESAURUS.COM

noun

iridescent quality; a play of lustrous, changing colors.

Origin of iridescence

First recorded in 1795–1805; irid- + -escence

OTHER WORDS FROM iridescence

non·ir·i·des·cence, noun

Words nearby iridescence

iridectomy, iridectropium, iridencleisis, iridentropium, irideremia, iridescence, iridescent, iridescent seaweed, iridesis, iridic, iridium

Example sentences from the Web for iridescence

The clothes were dominated by gray, murky green, midnight blue, all with hints of iridescence.
Paris Fall Fashion Week 2012: A Finale at Yves Saint Laurent|Robin Givhan|March 7, 2012|DAILY BEAST
The iridescence of certain Alpine clouds is also an effect of diffraction which may be imitated by the spores of Lycopodium.
Six Lectures on Light|John Tyndall
What has happened is as clear as the iridescence of a dragon's eye.
Kai Lung's Golden Hours|Ernest Bramah
The iridescence of the rippling water over the rainbow-coloured pebbles is very lovely.
The Roof of France|Matilda Betham-Edwards

It was funny stuff, with an iridescence on it as if she had been rubbing it with furniture polish.
The Judge|Rebecca West
But the fine gradations, the iridescence of feeling, mocks at verbal definition.
Frederick Chopin as a Man and Musician|Frederick Niecks