Phrase guide

Japanese iris

noun · 3 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • UK: / dʒæp.ənˌiːz ˈaɪ.rɪs/
  • Southern-England: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • US: /ˌdʒæp.ən.iːz ˈaɪ.rɪs/
  • rhymes with -aɪɹɪs

1

noun

Meaning 1

A group of iris flower species native to or cultivated in East Asia, particularly in Japan, Korea, China, Russia, and Mongolia. Scientifically, the three primary species are Iris ensata, Iris laevigata, and Iris sanguinea.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Topics: biology, botany, natural-sciences

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

noun

Meaning 2

A fringed iris, of the species Iris japonica, native to China and Japan, not considered a Japanese iris species.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Topics: biology, botany, natural-sciences

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: butterfly flower

Antonyms: none provided

3

noun

Meaning 3

iris native to Japan having large showy flowers

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: Iris kaempferi

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: beardless iris

History

Etymology

From Japanese + iris, due to them being discovered first by Western explorers in Japan.

Calque of taxonomic name Iris japonica, as gardeners have colloquialised its term.

Across languages

Translations

26 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Arabic: سوسن دموي — The Japanese iris group
  • Arabic: ايريس انساتا — The Japanese iris group
  • Arabic: ايريس لافيجاتا — The Japanese iris group
  • Arabic: سوسن دموى — The Japanese iris group
  • Chinese Mandarin: 玉蝉花 — The Japanese iris group
  • Chinese Mandarin: 燕子花 — The Japanese iris group
  • Chinese Mandarin: 溪荪 — The Japanese iris group
  • French: Iris du Japon — The Japanese iris group
  • French: Iris d'eau japonais — The Japanese iris group
  • German: Japanische Sumpf-Schwertlilie — The Japanese iris group
  • German: Asiatische Sumpf-Schwertlilie — The Japanese iris group
  • German: Ostsibirische Schwertlilie — The Japanese iris group
  • Japanese: 花菖蒲 (hanashōbu) — The Japanese iris group
  • Japanese: 杜若 (kakitsubata) — The Japanese iris group
  • Japanese: 菖蒲 (ayame) — The Japanese iris group
  • Japanese: 文目 (ayame) — The Japanese iris group
  • Korean: 菖蒲 — The Japanese iris group
  • Korean: 꽃창포 (kkotchangpo) — The Japanese iris group
  • Korean: 제비붓꽃 (jebibutkkot) — The Japanese iris group
  • Korean: 붓꽃 (butkkot) — The Japanese iris group
  • Iranian Persian: زنبقهای ژاپنی — The Japanese iris group
  • Russian: Ирис мечевидный — The Japanese iris group
  • Russian: Ирис гладкий — The Japanese iris group
  • Spanish: Iris Japonés — The Japanese iris group
  • Chinese Mandarin: 蝴蝶花 (húdiéhuā) — Iris japonica
  • Japanese: 射干 (shaga) — Iris japonica