What does iridescent mean?
Word: Iridescent
Part of Speech: Adjective
Meaning: Iridescent means showing bright colours that seem to shift as you look from different angles.
How do you spell iridescent?
Syllables: ir - i - des - cent
Tricky part: Many students double the r at the start, as if the word began like irregular or irritate. It has only one r.
Watch out for: irridescent, irrydescent
Memory tip: Think of the iris, the coloured ring in your eye and also the Greek word for a rainbow: one r there, one r here.
Iridescent in a sentence
Example 1: The peacock's neck turned iridescent blue and green as it stepped into the sun.
Example 2: A thin film of oil on the wet road made an iridescent patch at the bus stop.
Example 3: Nalini's sari had an iridescent shine that changed from purple to gold when she moved.
Fun Fact
Peacock feathers owe their iridescent colours to tiny structures that bend and scatter light; the pigment in the feather itself is mostly brown.
Practise the CREST Way
Word Cookie
Insert the correct letters to form a word:
irid_s_ent
a) a, c
b) e, c
c) i, s
d) e, s
Show answer
b) e, c. The middle vowel is e, and the hissing sound is written with two letters, s then c.
Word Cookie
Find the extra letter in the word:
iriddescent
a) d
b) r
c) s
d) t
Show answer
a) d. After the i, the word needs just one d.
Word Connection
Choose the antonym of the word iridescent as used in the sentence:
The mother-of-pearl box had an iridescent lid that Grandma kept polished.
a) glossy
b) dull
c) pearly
d) shimmering
Show answer
b) dull. Iridescent things gleam with changing colour, whereas dull things have no shine.
Spell-o-Spell
Only one of these words is spelt correctly. Choose its meaning:
1. translucant 2. radient 3. iridescent 4. luminus
a) gleaming with hues that alter with the angle of view
b) giving out light, especially in the dark
c) letting some light through but not clear like glass
d) shining brightly or glowing with happiness
Show answer
a) gleaming with hues that alter with the angle of view. Luminous has an o before the u, translucent ends in ent and radiant in ant.
Multiple Choice Questions
1. Which of these would a careful observer most likely call iridescent?
a) a brick wall at noon
b) a soap bubble in sunlight
c) a sheet of brown paper
d) a chalk line on a board
Show answer
b) a soap bubble in sunlight
2. An artist wants to give a painted fish an iridescent skin. Which choice suits it best?
a) a plain coat of matt white
b) paints that change with the light
c) one flat shade of dark grey
d) thick black outlines only
Show answer
b) paints that change with the light
