pupil

¹

[ pyoo-puhl ]

noun

1. a person, usually young, who is learning under the close supervision of a teacher at school, a private tutor, or the like; student.

   Synonyms: novice, apprentice

2. Civil Law. an orphaned or emancipated minor under the care of a guardian.
3. Roman Law. a person under the age of puberty orphaned or emancipated, and under the care of a guardian.

pupil

²

[ pyoo-puhl ]

noun

, Anatomy.

1. the expanding and contracting opening in the iris of the eye, through which light passes to the retina.

pupil

¹

/ ˈpjuːpəl /

noun

1. a student who is taught by a teacher, esp a young student
2. civil law Scots law a boy under 14 or a girl under 12 who is in the care of a guardian

pupil

²

/ ˈpjuːpəl /

noun

1. the dark circular aperture at the centre of the iris of the eye, through which light enters

pupil

/ pyo̅o̅′pəl /

1. The opening in the center of the iris through which light enters the eye.

pupil

1. The seemingly black, central opening in the iris of the eye , through which light enters.

Other Words From

• pu·pil·less adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of pupil¹

First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English pupille, from Middle French, from Latin pūpillus (masculine), pūpilla (feminine) “orphan, ward,” diminutives of pūpus “boy,” pūpa “girl”

Origin of pupil²

1350–1400; Middle English < Latin pūpilla literally, little doll; for sense compare Greek kórē girl, doll, pupil of the eye, alluding to the tiny reflections visible in the pupils. See pupa

Word History and Origins

Origin of pupil¹

C14: from Latin pupillus an orphan, from pūpus a child

Origin of pupil²

C16: from Latin pūpilla, diminutive of pūpa girl, puppet; from the tiny reflections in the eye

Synonym Study

Pupil, disciple, scholar, student refer to a person who is the recipient of education or mentoring. A pupil is one under the close supervision of a teacher, either because of youth or of specialization in some branch of study: a grade-school pupil; the pupil of a famous musician. A disciple is one who follows the teachings or doctrines of a person whom they consider to be a master or authority: a disciple of Swedenborg. Scholar, once meaning the same as pupil, is today usually applied to one who has acquired wide erudition in some field of learning: a great Latin scholar. A student is a person attending an educational institution or someone who has devoted much attention to a particular problem: a college student; a student of politics.

Example Sentences

In an effort to measure the profits online charter schools make, the report’s authors compared California’s per-pupil funding with fees charged for the same products in other jurisdictions.

From Washington Post

“He was a rebellious, difficult pupil — a boy of that age, after all, does not find it easy to stick to hours of practice,” his father wrote in an essay relayed in an email by Cai.

From Washington Post

Per pupil spending in North Carolina then was well below the national average.

From Washington Post

While attending a series of Catholic boarding schools, he later wrote of his attraction to other boy pupils.

From Washington Post

Teachers have fewer tools at their disposal to hold students accountable now that teachers and pupils don’t share a physical space.

From Washington Post

In the U.S, Allan Kaprow, an artist pupil of John Cage, came up with the word “Happening” in 1957.

From The Daily Beast

The compilation also brought the Nazi-riffic Apt Pupil and leach-tastic The Body (aka Stand By Me) to the silver screen.

From The Daily Beast

Per-pupil funding has fallen and cuts in local schools have alarmed teachers and parents.

From The Daily Beast

Bryan is very interested in World War II, which was a very big part of X-Men, Valkyrie, and Apt Pupil.

From The Daily Beast

The value of leisure was one subject on which both teacher and pupil agreed.

From The Daily Beast

Now first we shall want our pupil to understand, speak, read and write the mother tongue well.

From Project Gutenberg

Was a pupil of Caspar Netscher of Heidelberg, whose little pictures are of fabulous value.

From Project Gutenberg

It is well known that Prud'hon and his pupil painted many pictures in collaboration.

From Project Gutenberg

She was a pupil of Kullak's, too, but it is four years since she left him, and she has been concertizing a good deal.

From Project Gutenberg

This led to her painting portraits of various members of the royal family while she was still a pupil of De Zichys.

From Project Gutenberg

Related Words

• graduate student
• learner
• senior
• student
• undergraduate

More About Pupil

What does pupil mean?

A pupil is a person who is learning under a teacher or instructor. In this sense, pupil is often used when the student is young but does not strictly apply to young people.

In legal terms, pupil can refer to a minor who is under the care of a legal guardian who is not one of their parents.

In anatomy, a pupil is the opening in the iris of the eye. Light passes through the pupil into the retina at the back of the eyeball, where images are received.

Example: I train my pupils to keep up on their readings by assigning them quizzes.

Where does pupil come from?

The first records of the student sense of pupil come from the 1300s. It ultimately comes from the Latin pūpillus and pūpilla, meaning “orphan” or “ward.” While not every apprentice or student is an orphan, the teacher can take a similar role as a parent or leader that helps their students learn. The first records of the anatomy sense of pupil comes from the same Latin pūpilla, which also means “little doll.”

Pupils vary from species to species, and some species do not have them at all. For example, the pupils of cats, reptiles, and foxes are thin, vertical slits that help their depth perception when they’re hunting at night. Goats’ pupils are horizontal rectangles, which increase their peripheral vision, while dolphins’ pupils are shaped like crescents to help them see light under the water.

Did you know … ?

What are some other forms related to pupil?

• pupilless (adjective)
• pupilage (noun)
• pupillary (noun)

What are some synonyms for pupil?

• learner
• student
• undergraduate

What are some words that share a root or word element with pupil?

• pupillary distance
• pupilage
• pupillary

What are some words that often get used in discussing pupil?

• dilate
• eye
• learn
• light

How is pupil used in real life?

Pupil is a common word that is frequently used to refer to a student or the part of the eye that lets in light.

What do you think about the idea of teaching pupils in their local languages in lower primary yet they do exams in Eng. #ThursdayThoughts

— Solomon Serwanjja (@SolomonSerwanjj) July 6, 2017

The pupil of your eye expands by as much as 45% when you are looking at someone you love.

— UberFacts (@UberFacts) August 2, 2013

I'm thinking about getting goat pupil contact lenses.

— Eric Andre (@ericandre) May 11, 2016

Try using pupil!

Which of the following is NOT a synonym for pupil?

A. student
B. apprentice
C. trainee
D. teacher