Irid

Irid is primarily encountered as a combining form in medical and botanical terminology. It derives from the Greek iris, meaning rainbow, and in English it underlies terms connected with the iris of the eye as well as with iridescent coloration.

In ophthalmology, the root appears in terms describing the iris. Examples include iridectomy (surgical removal of part of the iris), iridoplasty (reconstruction of the iris), iridotomy (creating an opening in the iris to improve aqueous humor drainage), iridocyclitis (inflammation of the iris and ciliary body), iridodialysis (detachment of the iris from the ciliary body), and iridoschisis (splitting of iris tissue). The broader adjective irido- is also used in anatomical descriptions, as in iridocorneal or iridoretinal relations.

In botany, the root is associated with plants related to the iris. The iris family, Iridaceae, includes many ornamental species in the genus Iris. The term iridoid refers to a class of plant-derived monoterpenoids that share a common iridoid skeleton, used in phytochemistry.

In color science, iridaceous coloration and the word iridescence derive from the same root, indicating rainbow-like or shifting colors.

Irid should not be confused with iridium, the chemical element whose name derives from the same root for its rainbow-like luster, rather than a biological or anatomical meaning.