Emily Dickinson Lexicon

I-RAS-CI-BIL'I-TY, or I-RAS'CI-BLE-NESS, n. [from irascible.]

The quality of being irascible, or easily inflamed by anger; irritability of temper.

I-RAS'CI-BLE, a. [Fr. from L. irascor, from ira. See Ire.]

Very susceptible of anger; easily provoked or inflamed with resentment; irritable; as an irascible man; an irascible temper.

I-RAS'CI-BLY, adv.

In an irascible manner.

IRE, n. [Fr. from L. ira, wrath; W. irad, pungency, passion, rage. See Eng. Wrath.]

Anger; wrath; keen resentment; a word chiefly used in poetry. Thus will persist, relentless in his ire. Dryden.

IRE'FUL, a. [ire and full.]

Angry; wroth; furious with anger. The ireful bastard Orleans. Shak.

IRE'FUL-LY, adv.

In an angry manner.

I'RE-NARCH, n. [Gr. ειρηναρχης.]

An officer formerly employed in the Greek empire, to preserve the public tranquillity.

IR-I-DES'CENCE, n.

Exhibition of colors like those of the rainbow.

IR-I-DES'CENT, a. [from iris.]

Having colors like the rainbow. Fourcroy. Barrow.

I-RID'I-UM, n. [from iris.]

A metal of a whitish color, not malleable, found in the ore of platinum, and in a native alloy with osmium. Its specific gravity is above 18. It takes its name from the variety of colors which it exhibits while dissolving in muriatic acid. The native alloy with osmium, or native iridium, is of a steel gray color and shining metallic luster. It usually occurs in small irregular flat grains, in alluvial soil, in South America. Cleaveland. Webster's Manual.

I'RIS, n. [plur. Irises. L. iris, iridis, the rain bow, Gr. ιρις.]

1. The rainbow. Brown.
2. An appearance resembling the rainbow. Newton.
3. The colored circle which surrounds the pupil of the eye, by means of which that opening is enlarged and diminished.
4. The changeable colors which sometimes appear in the glasses of telescopes, microscopes, &c.
5. A colored spectrum which a triangular glass prism casts on a wall, when placed at a due angle in the sun-beams.
6. The flower-de-lis, or flag-flower, a genus of many species.

I'RIS-A-TED, a.

Exhibiting the prismatic colors; resembling the rainbow. Phillips.

I'RIS-ED, a.

Containing colors like those of the rainbow. Chaptal.

I'RISH, a.

Pertaining to Ireland.

I'RISH, n.

1. A native of Ireland.
2. The language of the Irish; the Hiberno-Celtic.

I'RISH-ISM, n.

A mode of speaking peculiar to the Irish.

I'RISH-RY, n.

The people of Ireland. Bryskett.

IRK, v.t. [urk; Scot. irk, to weary; irk, indolent. Lye suggests that this may be from Sax. weorce, work, which signifies also pain, or anxiety; but it seems more probably to be connected with Sax. earg, slothful, lazy, Gr. αργος.]

To weary; to give pain to; used only impersonally; as, it irketh me, it gives me uneasiness. It is nearly obsolete. Shak.

IRK'SOME, a.

Wearisome; tedious; tiresome; giving uneasiness; used of something troublesome by long continuance or repetition; as, irksome hours; irksome toil or task. Addison. Milton.

IRK'SOME-LY, adv.

In a wearisome or tedious manner.

IRK'SOME-NESS, n.

Tediousness; wearisomeness.

I'RON, a.

1. Made of iron; consisting of iron; as, an iron gate; an iron bar; iron dust.
2. Resembling iron in color; as, an iron gray color.
3. Harsh; rude; severe; miserable; as, the iron age of the world. Iron years of wars and dangers. Rowe. Jove crush'd the nations with an iron rod. Pope.
4. Binding fast; not to be broken; as, the iron sleep of death. Philips.
5. Hard of understanding; dull; as, an iron witted fool. Shak.
6. Firm; robust; as, an iron constitution.

I'RON, n. [i'urn, or i'rn; Sax. iren; Scot. irne, yrn, or airn; Isl. iarn; Sw. järn or iärn; Dan. iern; W. haiarn; Ir. iarann; Ann. hoarn; G. eisen; D. yzer. Qu. L. ferrum, for herrum. The radical elements of this word are not easily ascertained.]

1. A metal, the hardest, most common and most useful of all the metals; of a livid whitish color inclined to gray, internally composed, to appearance, of small facets, and susceptible of a fine polish. It is so hard and elastic as to be capable of destroying the aggregation of any other metal. Next to tin, it is the lightest of all metallic substances, and next to gold, the most tenacious. It may be hammered into plates, but not into leaves. Its ductility is more considerable. It has the property of magnetism; it is attracted by the lodestone, and will acquire its properties. It is found rarely in native masses; but in ores, mineralized by different substances, it abounds in every part of the earth. Its medicinal qualities are valuable. Fourcroy. Encyc.
2. An instrument or utensil made of iron; as, a flat-iron, a smoothing-iron. Canst thou fill his skin with barbed irons? Job xli.
3. Figuratively, strength; power; as, a rod of iron. Dan. ii.
4. Irons, plur. fetters; chains; manacles; handcuffs. Ps. cv.

IRON, v.t.

1. To smooth with an instrument of iron.
2. To shackle with irons; to fetter or handcuff.
3. To furnish or arm with iron.

I'RON-BOUND, a.

1. Bound with iron.
2. Faced or surrounded with rocks; rugged; as, an iron-bound coast.