Pupil vs. Iris — What's the Difference?

The pupil is a black hole located in the center of the iris of the eye that allows light to strike the retina. It appears black because light rays entering the pupil are either absorbed by the tissues inside the eye directly, or absorbed after diffuse reflections within the eye that mostly miss exiting the narrow pupil.

The goddess of the rainbow and messenger of the gods.

A student under the direct supervision of a teacher or professor.

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.

(Law) A minor under the supervision of a guardian.

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

The apparently black circular opening in the center of the iris of the eye, through which light passes to the retina.

A rainbow or rainbowlike display of colors.

A learner at a school under the supervision of a teacher.

An iris diaphragm.

One who studies under supervision of a renowned expert in their field.

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

An orphan who is a minor and under the protection of the state.

(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)).

(anatomy) The hole in the middle of the iris of the eye, through which light passes to be focused on the retina.

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

(zoology) The central dark part of an ocellated spot.

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

The aperture in the iris; the sight, apple, or black of the eye. See the Note under Eye, and Iris.

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

A youth or scholar of either sex under the care of an instructor or tutor.

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

A person under a guardian; a ward.

To open or close in the manner of an iris.

A boy or a girl under the age of puberty, that is, under fourteen if a male, and under twelve if a female.

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

A learner who is enrolled in an educational institution

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

Contractile aperture in the iris of the eye

The rainbow.

A young person attending school (up through senior high school)

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