pupil

1 of 2

noun (1)

pu·​pil ˈpyü-pəl 

1

: a child or young person in school or in the charge of a tutor or instructor : student

2

: one who has been taught or influenced by a famous or distinguished person

pupil

2 of 2

noun (2)

: the contractile aperture in the iris of the eye

pupillary

ˈpyü-pə-ˌler-ē 

adjective

Synonyms of pupil

Noun (1)

• student
• scholar

Examples of pupil in a Sentence

Noun (1)

generally there are 20 pupils in each class

to pupils of the philosopher Henry David Thoreau, the shores of Walden Pond are hallowed ground

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

Hinton, known as the godfather of AI, is portrayed as a saintly figure who espouses a model of growth based on truth, patience, and moderation, much to the frustration of his pupil. — E. Alex Jung, Vulture, 2 Oct. 2026

Dozens of educational staff, hundreds of police officers and more than 100 pupils are said to have been injured since the protests began, according to the French press. — Chloe Taylor, CNBC, 2 Oct. 2026

Acupressure targets specific points, including spots roughly a finger’s length below your pupils and beside your nose, which NuFace says can promote a glowing complexion by improving circulation. — Samantha Agate, Kansas City Star, 1 Oct. 2026

The rookie’s performance called to mind what linebackers coach Frank Bush had said last week about his precocious pupil. — Pat Leonard, New York Daily News, 1 Oct. 2026

Word History

Etymology

Noun (1)

Middle English pupille minor ward, from Anglo-French, from Latin pupillus male ward (from diminutive of pupus boy) & pupilla female ward, from diminutive of pupa girl, doll

Noun (2)

Middle French pupille, from Latin pupilla, from diminutive of pupa doll; from the tiny image of oneself seen reflected in another's eye

First Known Use

Noun (1)

1531, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Noun (2)

15th century, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for pupil

• duple
• pupal
• scruple
• quadruple

Kids Definition

pupil

1 of 2 noun

pu·​pil ˈpyü-pəl 

1

: a child or young person in school or in the care of a tutor or teacher

2

: one who has been taught or influenced by a person of fame : disciple

pupil

2 of 2 noun

: the usually round opening in the iris that contracts and expands to control the amount of light entering the eye

Etymology

Noun

Middle English pupille "a child under the care of a guardian," from early French pupille (same meaning), from Latin pupillus "a boy under the care of a guardian" and pupilla "a girl under the care of a guardian"; pupillus derived from pupus "boy"; pupilla derived from pupa "girl, doll" — related to pupil entry 2

Noun

derived from Latin pupilla "pupil of the eye, girl under the care of a guardian," literally, "little doll," derived from pupa "doll, girl"; so called because the tiny image of oneself seen in another's eye is like a tiny doll

Word Origin

If you look into another person's eye, you can see a small reflection of yourself. That small image made the ancient Romans think of a doll. Thus, they called the part of the eye in which it appears the pupilla. This word literally meant "little doll." The English word for that part of the eye, pupil, can be traced to the Latin pupilla. Pupilla also had another meaning. A little girl who was an orphan and was in the care of a guardian was called a pupilla. A little boy in the same situation was called a pupillus. From these two Latin words we get the other English pupil, meaning "a young student in the care of a tutor or in school."

Medical Definition

pupil

noun

pu·​pil ˈpyü-pəl 

: the contractile usually round aperture in the iris of the eye