Learn a Word Daily — Iridescence
Today’s word is "Iridescence": A display of shimmering, shifting colors that change with the angle of view.
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Word of the Day · December 21, 2025
Iridescence
eer-ih-DESS-ents · noun
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Definition
- A display of shimmering, shifting colors that change with the angle of view.
- The quality of showing rainbow-like hues on a surface, such as oil, shells, or bubbles.
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Origin & Etymology
From Iris, the Greek goddess of the rainbow, plus the suffix -escence (“state or process of”), literally referring to rainbow-like color shifting.
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Nuance
Iridescence is about surfaces that seem to glow and change color — like beetle shells, peacock feathers, or a film of oil on water.
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Usage
“The iridescence of the soap bubble shimmered just before it popped.”
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Fun Fact
Many creatures’ iridescent colors come not from pigments, but from microscopic structures that bend and scatter light in complex ways.
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