noun

pupil

pupil, student

The teacher had 30 pupils in her class.

The teacher had 30 pupils in her class.

The doctor checked the pupil of his eye.

The doctor checked the pupil of his eye.

a pupil a student, especially a young one She is a bright pupil.

the pupil of the eye the black circular opening in the eye His pupils were dilated.

Synonyms (student): student, learner

From Latin 'pupillus' (orphan boy) and 'pupilla' (orphan girl). The eye sense comes from the tiny reflection of oneself ('little doll') seen in another's eye.

Imagine a 'pupil' (student) looking at you, and you can see your reflection in their 'pupil' (the part of the eye). This connects the two meanings.

This page is designed for learning support. Please use it as a learning reference, not as a formal reference.