Ir -symbol
- iridium
IR -abbr
- information retrieval
- infrared
- inland revenue
- intelligence ratio
- internal revenue
IRA [,ī-(,)är-'ā; 'ī-rə] -n
- a retirement savings account in which income taxes on certain deposits and on all gains are deferred until withdrawals are made
- Irish Republican Army
Ira·ni·an [i-'rā-nē-ən, -'ra-, -'rä-; ī-'] -n, adj
- a native or inhabitant of Iran
- a branch of the Indo-European family of languages that includes Persian
iras·ci·ble [i-'ra-sə-bəl] -adj, n, adv
- marked by hot temper and easily provoked anger
irate [ī-'rāt, 'ī-,, i-'rāt] -adj, adv, n
- roused to ire
- arising from anger
IRBM -abbr
- intermediate range ballistic missile
IRD -abbr
- integrated receiver decoder; integrated receiver descrambler
ire ['ī(-ə)r] -n, vt, adj
- intense and usu. openly displayed anger
Ire -abbr
- Ireland
ire·nic [ī-'re-nik, -'rē-] -adj, adv
- favoring, conducive to, or operating toward peace, moderation, or conciliation
irid -abbr
- iridescent
irid- -comb form
- rainbow
- iris of the eye
ir·i·des·cence [,ir-ə-'de-sᵊn(t)s] -n
- a lustrous rainbowlike play of color caused by differential refraction of light waves (as from an oil slick, soap bubble, or fish scales) that tends to change as the angle of view changes
- a lustrous or attractive quality or effect
ir·i·des·cent [-sᵊnt] -adj, adv
- having or exhibiting iridescence
irid·ic [i-'ri-dik, ī-'ri-dik] -adj
- of or relating to the iris of the eye
irid·i·um [i-'ri-dē-əm] -n
- a rare silver-white hard brittle very heavy metallic element
ir·i·dol·o·gy [,ī-rə-'dä-lə-jē] -n
- the study of the iris of the eye for indications of bodily health and disease
ir·id·os·mine [,ir-ə-'däz-,mēn] -n
- a mineral that is a native iridium osmium alloy usu. containing some rhodium and platinum
iris ['ī-rəs] -n
- rainbow
- the opaque contractile diaphragm perforated by the pupil and forming the colored portion of the eye
- iris diaphragm
- a similar device with a circular opening that can be varied in size
- any of a large genus ( Irisof the family Iridaceae, the iris family) of perennial herbaceous plants with linear usu. basal leaves and large showy flowers
- to make iridescent
Iris ['ī-rəs] -n
- the Greek goddess of the rainbow and a messenger of the gods
iris diaphragm -n
- an adjustable diaphragm of thin opaque plates that can be turned by a ring so as to change the diameter of a central opening usu. to regulate the aperture of a lens
Irish ['ī-rish] -n, adj
- natives or inhabitants of Ireland or their descendants esp. when of Celtic speech or culture
- the Celtic language of Ireland esp. as used since the later medieval period
- English spoken by the Irish
- irish whiskey
Irish bull -n
- an incongruous statement (as it was hereditary in his family to have no children)
Irish coffee -n
- hot sugared coffee and Irish whiskey topped with whipped cream
Irish confetti -n
- a rock or brick used as a missile
Irish Gaelic -n
- irish
Irish·ism ['ī-ri-,shi-zəm] -n
- a word, phrase, or expression characteristic of the Irish
- irish bull
Irish·ly ['ī-rish-lē] -adv
- in a manner characteristic of the Irish
Irish mail -n
- a 3- or 4-wheeled toy vehicle activated by a hand lever
Irish·man ['ī-rish-mən] -n
- a native or inhabitant of Ireland
- a person who is of Irish descent
Irish moss -n
- the dried and bleached plants of a red alga (esp. Chondrus crispus) used as an agent for thickening or emulsifying or as a demulcent and as a source of carrageenan
- a red alga that is a source of Irish moss called also carrageen
Irish·ness ['ī-rish-nəs] -n
- the fact or quality of being Irish
Irish potato -n
- potato
Irish·ry ['ī-rish-rē] -n
- irish
- Irish quality or character
- an Irish peculiarity or trait
Irish setter -n
- any of a breed of bird dogs resembling English setters but with a glossy mahogany-red coat
Irish stew -n
- a stew having as its principal ingredients meat (as lamb), potatoes, and onions in a thick gravy
Irish terrier -n
- any of a breed of active medium-sized terriers characterized by a dense close usu. reddish wiry coat
Irish water spaniel -n
- any of a breed of medium-sized retrievers characterized by a topknot, a heavy curly coat which is dark liver in color, and a short-haired tail
Irish whiskey -n
- whiskey made in Ireland chiefly of barley
Irish wolfhound -n
- any of a breed of very tall heavily built hounds having a rough wiry coat
Irish·wom·an ['ī-rish-,wu̇-mən] -n
- a woman born in Ireland or of Irish descent
iri·tis [ī-'rī-təs] -n
- inflammation of the iris of the eye
irk ['ərk] -vt
- to make weary, irritated, or bored
- the fact of being annoying
- a source of annoyance
irk·some ['ərk-səm] -adj, adv, n
- tending to irk : tedious
iro·ko [ə-'rō-(,)kō] -n
- a large tropical western African tree ( Chlorophora excelsa) of the mulberry family having strong streaky insect-resistant wood which is often used as a teak substitute
- this wood
iron ['ī(-ə)rn] -n
- a silver-white malleable ductile magnetic heavy metallic element that readily rusts in moist air, occurs native in meteorites and combined in most igneous rocks, is the most used of metals, and is vital to biological processes
- : something made of iron: as
- shackles for the hands or legs
- a heated metal implement used for branding or cauterizing
- a household device usu. with a flat metal base that is heated to smooth, finish, or press (as cloth)
- stirrup usu. used in pl.
- any of a series of numbered golf clubs having relatively thin metal heads
- great strength, hardness, or determination
- of, relating to, or made of iron
- resembling iron
- strong and healthy : robust
- inflexible, unrelenting
- holding or binding fast
- to furnish or cover with iron
- to shackle with irons
- to smooth with or as if with a heated iron
- to remove (as wrinkles) by ironing
- to smooth or press cloth or clothing with a heated iron
Iron Age -n
- the period of human culture characterized by the smelting of iron and its use in industry beginning somewhat before 1000 b.c.in western Asia and Egypt
iron·bark ['ī(-ə)rn-,bärk] -n
- any of several Australian eucalypti having hard gray bark and heavy hard durable wood used esp. in heavy construction
- this wood
iron·bound [-'bau̇nd] -adj
- : bound with or as if with iron: as
- harsh, rugged
- stern, rigorous
iron·clad [-'klad] -adj
- sheathed in iron armor used esp. of naval vessels
- : so firm or secure as to be unbreakable: as
- binding
- having no obvious weakness
- an ironclad case against the defendant
- an armored naval vessel esp. of the mid to late 19th century
iron curtain -n
- an impenetrable barrier
- the iron curtain between the ego and the unconscious -- C. J. Rolo
- a political, military, and ideological barrier that cuts off and isolates an area
- one formerly isolating an area under Soviet control
iron·er ['ī(-ə)r-nər] -n
- one that irons
- mangle
iron·fisted ['ī(-ə)rn-'fis-təd] -adj
- stingy, miserly
- being both harsh and ruthless
iron gray -n
- a slightly greenish dark gray
iron hand ['ī(-ə)rn-'han-dəd] -n, adj
- stern or rigorous control
iron·heart·ed ['ī(-ə)rn-'här-təd] -adj
- cruel, hard-hearted
iron horse -n
- locomotive
- a steam locomotive
iron·ic [,ī-'rä-nik also i-'rä-] -adj, n
- relating to, containing, or constituting irony
- given to irony
iron·i·cal·ly [-ni-k(ə-)lē] -adv
- in an ironic manner
- it is ironic, curious, or surprising
iron·ing ['ī(-ə)r-niŋ] -n
- the action or process of smoothing or pressing with or as if with a heated iron
- clothes ironed or to be ironed
ironing board -n
- a flat padded cloth-covered surface on which clothes are ironed
iro·nist ['ī-rə-nist] -n
- one who uses irony esp. in the development of a literary work or theme
iro·nize [-,nīz] -vb
- to make ironic in appearance or effect
- to use irony : speak or behave ironically
iron lung -n
- a device for artificial respiration in which rhythmic alternations in the air pressure in a chamber surrounding a patient's chest force air into and out of the lungs
iron maiden -n
- a supposed medieval torture device consisting of a hollow iron statue or coffin in the shape of a woman that is lined with spikes which impale the enclosed victim
iron man -n
- a man of unusual physical endurance
iron·mas·ter ['ī(-ə)rn-,mas-tər] -n
- a manufacturer of iron
iron·mon·ger [-,məŋ-gər, -,mäŋ-] -n
- a dealer in iron and hardware
iron·mon·gery [-g(ə-)rē] -n
- something made of metal
- hardware
iron out -vt
- to make smooth or flat by or as if by pressing
- to resolve or work out a solution to
- ironed out their differences
iron oxide -n
- : any of several oxides of iron: as
- ferric oxide
- the monoxide FeO of iron
iron pyrites -n
- pyrite called also iron pyrite
iron ration -n
- an emergency ration
iron·side [-,sīd] -n
- a man of great strength or bravery
iron·stone ['ī(-ə)rn-,stōn] -n
- a hard sedimentary rock rich in iron
- a siderite in a coal region
- ironstone china
ironstone china -n
- a hard heavy durable white pottery developed in England early in the 19th century
iron sulfide -n
- any of several sulfides of iron
iron·ware ['ī(-ə)rn-,wer] -n
- articles made of iron
iron·weed [-,wēd] -n
- any of a genus ( Vernonia) of mostly weedy composite plants usu. having alternate leaves and perfect red, purple, or white tubular flowers in terminal cymose heads
iron·wood [-,wu̇d] -n
- any of numerous trees and shrubs (as a hornbeam or hop hornbeam) with exceptionally tough or hard wood
- the wood of an ironwood
iron·work [-,wərk] -n
- work in iron
- something made of iron
- a mill or building where iron or steel is smelted or heavy iron or steel products are made
iro·ny ['ī-rə-nē also 'ī(-ə)r-nē] -n
- a pretense of ignorance and of willingness to learn from another assumed in order to make the other's false conceptions conspicuous by adroit questioning called also Socratic irony
- the use of words to express something other than and esp. the opposite of the literal meaning
- a usu. humorous or sardonic literary style or form characterized by irony
- an ironic expression or utterance
- incongruity between the actual result of a sequence of events and the normal or expected result
- an event or result marked by such incongruity
- incongruity between a situation developed in a drama and the accompanying words or actions that is understood by the audience but not by the characters in the play called also dramatic irony tragic irony
Ir·o·quoi·an [,ir-ə-'kwȯi-ən] -n, adj
- a member of any of the peoples constituting the Iroquois
- an American Indian language family of eastern No. America including Cayuga, Cherokee, Mohawk, Onondaga, Oneida, Seneca, and Tuscarora
Ir·o·quois ['ir-ə-,kwȯi also -,kwä] -n
- an American Indian confederacy orig. of New York consisting of the Cayuga, Mohawk, Oneida, Onondaga, and Seneca and later including the Tuscarora
- a member of any of the Iroquois peoples
IRQ -abbr
- interrupt request
ir·ra·di·ance [i-'rā-dē-ən(t)s] -n
- radiance
- the density of radiation incident on a given surface usu. expressed in watts per square centimeter or square meter
ir·ra·di·ate [i-'rā-dē-,āt] -vb, adj, n
- to cast rays of light upon : illuminate
- to enlighten intellectually or spiritually
- to affect or treat by radiant energy (as heat)
- to treat by irradiation
- to emit like rays of light : radiate
- irradiating strength and comfort
- to emit rays : shine
ir·ra·di·a·tion [i-,rā-dē-'ā-shən] -n
- exposure to radiation (as X rays or alpha particles)
- the application of radiation (as X rays or gamma rays) for therapeutic purposes or for sterilization (as of food)
- partial or complete sterilization by irradiation
ir·rad·i·ca·ble [i-'ra-di-kə-bəl, ,i(r)-] -adj, adv
- impossible to eradicate : deep-rooted
ir·ra·tio·nal [i-'ra-sh(ə-)nəl, ,i(r)-] -adj, n, adv
- : not rational: as
- not endowed with reason or understanding
- lacking usual or normal mental clarity or coherence
- not governed by or according to reason
- having a quantity other than that required by the meter
- containing such a syllable
- being an irrational number
- an irrational root of an equation
- having a numerical value that is an irrational number
- a length that is irrational
irrational -n
- an irrational being
- irrational number
ir·ra·tio·nal·ism [i-'ra-sh(ə-)nə-,li-zəm] -n, n or adj, adj
- a system emphasizing intuition, instinct, feeling, or faith rather than reason or holding that the universe is governed by irrational forces
- the quality or state of being irrational
irrational number -n
- a number that can be expressed as an infinite decimal with no set of consecutive digits repeating itself indefinitely and that cannot be expressed as the quotient of two integers
ir·re·al [i-'rē(-ə)l, ,i(r)-] -adj
- not real
ir·re·al·i·ty [,ir-ē-'a-lə-tē] -n
- unreality
ir·re·claim·able [,ir-i-'klā-mə-bəl] -adj, adv
- incapable of being reclaimed
ir·rec·on·cil·able [i-,re-kən-'sī-lə-bəl, -'re-kən-,, ,i(r)-] -adj, n, adv
- impossible to reconcile
- irreconcilable differences
irreconcilable -n
- one that is irreconcilable
- a member of a group (as a political party) opposing compromise or collaboration
ir·re·cov·er·able [,ir-i-'kəv-rə-bəl, -'kə-və-] -adj, n, adv
- not capable of being recovered or rectified : irreparable
ir·re·cu·sa·ble [,ir-i-'kyü-zə-bəl] -adj, adv
- not subject to exception or rejection
irred -abbr
- irredeemable
ir·re·deem·able [,ir-i-'dē-mə-bəl] -adj, adv
- : not redeemable: as
- not terminable by payment of the principal
- inconvertible
- being beyond remedy : hopeless
ir·re·den·ta [,ir-i-'den-tə] -n
- a territory historically or ethnically related to one political unit but under the political control of another
ir·re·den·tism [-'den-,ti-zəm] -n, n or adj
- a political principle or policy directed toward the incorporation of irredentas within the boundaries of their historically or ethnically related political unit
ir·re·duc·ible [,ir-i-'dü-sə-bəl, -'dyü-] -adj, n, adv
- impossible to transform into or restore to a desired or simpler condition
- incapable of being factored into polynomials of lower degree with coefficients in some given field (as the rational numbers) or integral domain (as the integers)
- impossible to make less or smaller
ir·re·flex·ive [,ir-i-'flek-siv] -adj
- being a relation for which the reflexive property does not hold for any element of a given set
ir·re·form·able [,ir-i-'fȯr-mə-bəl] -adj, n
- incapable of being reformed : incorrigible
- not subject to revision or alteration
ir·re·fra·ga·ble [i-'re-frə-gə-bəl, ,i(r)-; ,ir-i-'fra-gə-] -adj, n, adv
- impossible to refute
- impossible to break or alter
ir·re·fut·able [,ir-i-'fyü-tə-bəl; i-'re-fyə-tə-, ,i(r)-] -adj, n, adv
- impossible to refute : incontrovertible
irreg -abbr
- irregular
ir·re·gard·less [,ir-i-'gärd-ləs] -adv
- regardless
ir·reg·u·lar [i-'re-gyə-lər, ,i(r)-] -adj, adv
- not being or acting in accord with laws, rules, or established custom
- not conforming to the usual pattern of inflection
- strong
- not following a usual or prescribed procedure
- celebrated without either proclamation of the banns or publication of intention to marry
- not belonging to or a part of a regular organized group
- not belonging to a regular army but raised for a special purpose
- lacking perfect symmetry or evenness
- having one or more floral parts of the same whorl different in size, shape, or arrangement
- zygomorphic
- lacking continuity or regularity esp. of occurrence or activity
irregular -n
- : one that is irregular: as
- a soldier who is not a member of a regular military force
- merchandise that has minor defects or that falls next below the manufacturer's standard for firsts
ir·reg·u·lar·i·ty [i-,re-gyə-'la-rə-tē, ,i(r)-] -n
- something that is irregular (as improper or dishonest conduct)
- alleged irregularities in the city government
- the quality or state of being irregular
- constipation
ir·rel·a·tive [-'re-lə-tiv] -adj, adv
- : not relative:
- not related
- irrelevant
ir·rel·e·vance [-'re-lə-vən(t)s] -n
- the quality or state of being irrelevant
- something irrelevant
ir·rel·e·van·cy [-vən(t)-sē] -n
- irrelevance
ir·rel·e·vant [-vənt] -adj, adv
- not relevant : inapplicable
- that statement is irrelevant to your argument
ir·re·li·gion [,ir-i-'li-jən] -n
- the quality or state of being irreligious
ir·re·li·gious [-'li-jəs] -adj, adv
- neglectful of religion : lacking religious emotions, doctrines, or practices
- so irreligious that they exploit popular religion for professional purposes -- G. B. Shaw
- indicating lack of religion
ir·re·me·able [i-'rē-mē-ə-bəl, ,i(r)-] -adj
- offering no possibility of return
ir·re·me·di·a·ble [,ir-i-'mē-dē-ə-bəl] -adj, n, adv
- not remediable
- incurable
ir·re·mov·able [-'mü-və-bəl] -adj, n, adv
- not removable
ir·rep·a·ra·ble [i-'re-p(ə-)rə-bəl, ,i(r)- also ÷,ir-(r)ə-'per-ə-bəl] -adj, n, adv
- not reparable : irremediable
ir·re·peal·able [,ir-i-'pē-lə-bəl] -adj, n
- not repealable
ir·re·place·able [-'plā-sə-bəl] -adj, n, adv
- not replaceable
ir·re·press·ible [-'pre-sə-bəl] -adj, n, adv
- impossible to repress, restrain, or control
ir·re·proach·able [-'prō-chə-bəl] -adj, n, adv
- not reproachable : blameless, impeccable
ir·re·pro·duc·ible [i-,rē-prə-'dü-sə-bəl, ,i(r)-, -'dyü-] -adj, n
- not reproducible
- irreproducible craftsmanship
ir·re·sist·ible [,ir-i-'zis-tə-bəl] -adj, n, adv
- impossible to resist
- an irresistible attraction
ir·re·sol·u·ble [-'zäl-yə-bəl] -adj
- indissoluble
- having or admitting of no solution or explanation
ir·res·o·lute [i-'re-zə-,lüt, ,i(r)-, -lət] -adj, adv, n
- uncertain how to act or proceed : vacillating
ir·re·solv·able [,ir-i-'zäl-və-bəl, -'zȯl-] -adj
- incapable of being resolved
- not analyzable
ir·re·spec·tive of [,ir-i-'spek-tiv-] -prep
- regardless of
- paid irrespective of how hard they work -- Lee Bowes
ir·re·spon·si·ble [,ir-i-'spän(t)-sə-bəl] -adj, n, adv
- : not responsible: as
- not answerable to higher authority
- an irresponsible dictatorship
- said or done with no sense of responsibility
- irresponsible accusations
- lacking a sense of responsibility
- unable esp. mentally or financially to bear responsibility
irresponsible -n
- a person who is irresponsible
ir·re·spon·sive [,ir-i-'spän(t)-siv] -adj, n
- not responsive
- not able, ready, or inclined to respond
ir·re·triev·able [,ir-i-'trē-və-bəl] -adj, n, adv
- not retrievable : impossible to regain or recover
ir·rev·er·ence [i-'rev-rənts, ,i(r)-, -'re-və-; -'re-vərn(t)s] -n
- lack of reverence
- an irreverent act or utterance
ir·rev·er·ent [-rənt; -vərnt] -adj, adv
- lacking proper respect or seriousness
- satiric
ir·re·vers·ible [,ir-i-'vər-sə-bəl] -adj, n, adv
- not reversible
ir·rev·o·ca·ble [i-'re-və-kə-bəl, ,i(r)- sometimes ,ir-(r)ə-'vō-kə-] -adj, n, adv
- not possible to revoke : unalterable
irridenta [,ir-i-'den-tə] -n
(variant of irredenta)
- a territory historically or ethnically related to one political unit but under the political control of another
ir·ri·ga·ble ['ir-ə-gə-bəl] -adj
- suitable for irrigation
ir·ri·gate ['ir-ə-,gāt] -vb, n
- : wet, moisten: as
- to supply (as land or crops) with water by artificial means
- to flush (a body part) with a stream of liquid (as in removing a foreign body or medicating)
- to refresh as if by watering
- to practice irrigation
ir·ri·ga·tion [,ir-ə-'gā-shən] -n
- the therapeutic flushing of a body part with a stream of liquid
- the watering of land by artificial means to foster plant growth
ir·ri·ta·bil·i·ty [,ir-ə-tə-'bi-lə-tē] -n
- the property of protoplasm and of living organisms that permits them to react to stimuli
- : the quality or state of being irritable: as
- quick excitability to annoyance, impatience, or anger : petulance
- abnormal or excessive excitability of an organ or part of the body
ir·ri·ta·ble ['ir-ə-tə-bəl] -adj, n, adv
- : capable of being irritated: as
- easily exasperated or excited
- gets irritable when he tires
- responsive to stimuli
irritable bowel syndrome -n
- a chronic functional disorder of the colon that is characterized esp. by constipation or diarrhea, cramping abdominal pain, and the passage of mucus in the stool abbr. IBS
ir·ri·tant ['ir-ə-tənt] -adj
- causing irritation
- tending to produce physical irritation
irritant -n
- something that irritates or excites
ir·ri·tate ['ir-ə-,tāt] -vb, adv
- to provoke impatience, anger, or displeasure in : annoy
- to induce irritability in or of
- to cause or induce displeasure or irritation
irritated -adj
- subjected to irritation
- roughened, reddened, or inflamed by an irritant
ir·ri·ta·tion [,ir-ə-'tā-shən] -n
- the act of irritating
- something that irritates
- the state of being irritated
- a condition of irritability, soreness, roughness, or inflammation of a bodily part
ir·ri·ta·tive ['ir-ə-,tā-tiv] -adj
- serving to excite : irritating
- accompanied with or produced by irritation
ir·ro·ta·tion·al [,ir-(r)ō-'tā-shnəl, -shə-nᵊl] -adj
- not rotating or involving rotation
- free of vortices
ir·rupt [i-'rəpt] -vi, n
- to rush in forcibly or violently
- to undergo a sudden upsurge in numbers esp. when natural ecological balances and checks are disturbed
- erupt
- the crowd irrupt ed in a fervor of patriotism -- Time
ir·rup·tive [-'rəp-tiv] -adj, adv
- irrupting or tending to irrupt
IRS -abbr
- Internal Revenue Service