Lexical Definition

‎ἶρις‎ îris (ee'-ris) rainbow ^G:N-F
perhaps from ‎ἐρέω‎ (as a symbol of the female messenger of the pagan deities)

rainbow.

• a rainbow ("iris")

Abbott-Smith

ἶρις, -ιδος, ἡ, [in LXX: Ex 30:24 (קִדָּה)*, (קֶשֶׁת, Ge 9:13, Ez 1:28, is rendered by τόξον);]
1. Iris, the messenger of the gods.
2. a rainbow or halo: Re 4:3 10:1.
3. The plant Iris (cf. Ex 30:24).†

Abbott-Smith References

Liddell-Scott-Jones

Included with: ἶρις, ιδος, ἡ,

accusative Ἶριν, vocative Ἶρι:— “Iris”, the messenger of the gods among themselves, [Refs 8th c.BC+], compare ὠκέα ἶρις [ἶρις 8th c.BC: Ilias Homerus Epicus “Illiad” 23.198 (Papyrus); possibly also from Ἐϝῖρις: Εἶρις is the name of a ship, “IG” 22.1611c137 (4th c.BC), but ἶρις is written in “Michel” 832 (Samos, 4th c.BC): allegorized as προφορικὸς λόγος and derived from εἴρω by “Stoicorum Veterum Fragmenta” 2.43.) ">Refs 8th c.BC+]

__II as appellative, ἶρις, ἡ, genitive ἴριδος [Refs 4th c.BC+]; accusative ἶριν [Refs 2nd c.BC+]; Epic dialect dative plural ἴρισσιν (see. below):—rainbow, δράκοντες.., ἴρισσιν ἐοικότες, ἅς τε Κρονίων ἐν νέφεϊ στήριξε, τέρας μερόπων ἀνθρώπων [Refs 8th c.BC+]
__II.2 any bright-coloured circle surrounding another body, as the lunar rainbow, [Refs 4th c.BC+]halo of candle, [Refs 4th c.BC+]; the iris of the eye, [Refs 2nd c.AD+]; also, section through the ciliary region, [Refs 2nd c.AD+]
__II.3 iridescent garment, [Refs]
__II.4 various species of the botanical genus iris, e.g. the purple Iris, I. germanica or pallida, εὐάνθεμον ἶριν [Refs 4th c.BC+]; also, the white variety of it, I. florentina, from the rhizome of which the orris-root of commerce is made, [Refs 4th c.BC+]: in this sense some wrote it oxytone ἰρίς, ίδος, [Refs]
__II.5 a precious stone, [Refs 1st c.AD+]