Ibis vs. Iris — What's the Difference?

The ibises () (collective plural ibis; classical plurals ibides and ibes) are a group of long-legged wading birds in the family Threskiornithidae, that inhabit wetlands, forests and plains. "Ibis" derives from the Latin and Ancient Greek word for this group of birds.

The goddess of the rainbow and messenger of the gods.

Any of various storklike wading birds of the family Threskiornithidae of temperate and tropical regions, having a long, slender, downward-curving bill.

The pigmented, round, contractile membrane of the eye, suspended between the cornea and lens and perforated by the pupil. It regulates the amount of light entering the eye.

Any of various long-legged wading birds in the family Threskiornithidae, having long downcurved bills used to probe the mud for prey such as crustaceans.

Any of numerous widely cultivated plants of the genus Iris, having narrow sword-shaped leaves and showy, variously colored flowers.

Any bird of the genus Ibis and several allied genera, of the family Ibidæ, inhabiting both the Old World and the New. Numerous species are known. They are large, wading birds, having a long, curved beak, and feed largely on reptiles.

A rainbow or rainbowlike display of colors.

Wading birds of warm regions having long slender down-curved bills

An iris diaphragm.

(botany) A plant of the genus Iris, common in the northern hemisphere, and generally having attractive blooms (See Iris (plant)).

(anatomy) The contractile membrane perforated by the pupil, which adjusts to control the amount of light reaching the retina, and which forms the colored portion of the eye (See Iris (anatomy)).

A diaphragm used to regulate the size of a hole, especially as a way of controlling the amount of light reaching a lens.

(poetic) A rainbow, or other colourful refraction of light.

(electronics) A constricted opening in the path inside a waveguide, used to form a resonator.

(zoology) The inner circle of an oscillated color spot.

To open or close in the manner of an iris.

(literary) To cause (something) to shine with the colours of the rainbow; to make iridescent.

The goddess of the rainbow, and swift-footed messenger of the gods.

The rainbow.

An appearance resembling the rainbow; a prismatic play of colors.

The contractile membrane perforated by the pupil, and forming the colored portion of the eye. See Eye.

A genus of plants having showy flowers and bulbous or tuberous roots, of which the flower-de-luce (fleur-de-lis), orris, and other species of flag are examples. See Illust. of Flower-de-luce.

See Fleur-de-lis, 2.

The inner circle of an oscillated color spot.

Same as iris diaphragm.

Plants with sword-shaped leaves and erect stalks bearing bright-colored flowers composed of three petals and three drooping sepals

Muscular diaphragm that controls the size of the pupil; it forms the colored portion of the eye

Diaphragm consisting of thin overlapping plates that can be adjusted to change the diameter of a central opening