Meaning & use

iridescence

noun·Advanced

A shimmering quality in which surface colors appear to change and shift depending on the angle of light.

See it in a sentence

The iridescence of the beetle's shell shifted from green to purple as it crawled.

Sunlight on the soap bubble revealed a brief iridescence before it finally popped.

A note on using this word

Iridescence describes an optical effect caused by light interference, common in soap bubbles, oil slicks, and certain feathers or shells.

Words with a similar meaning

shimmerluster

Choose a synonym to suit the sentence. Meanings can overlap without being identical.

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