pupil

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English[edit]

Pronunciation[edit]

Etymology 1[edit]

From Anglo-Norman pupille (“orphan”), from Latin pūpillus (“orphan, minor”), variant of pūpulus (“little boy”), from pūpus (“child, boy”).

Noun[edit]

pupil (plural pupils)

  1. (law, obsolete) An orphan who is a minor and under the protection of the state.
  2. A learner under the supervision of a teacher or professor.
    • 1668 December 19, James Dalrymple, “Mr. Alexander Seaton contra Menzies” in The Deciſions of the Lords of Council & Seſſion I (Edinburgh, 1683), page 575
      The Pupil after his Pupillarity, had granted a Diſcharge to one of the Co-tutors, which did extinguiſh the whole Debt of that Co-tutor, and conſequently of all the reſt, they being all correi debendi, lyable by one individual Obligation, which cannot be Diſcharged as to one, and ſtand as to all the reſt.
    • 2013 July 19, Peter Wilby, “Finland spreads word on schools”, in The Guardian Weekly, volume 189, number 6, page 30:
      Imagine a country where children do nothing but play until they start compulsory schooling at age seven. Then, without exception, they attend comprehensives until the age of 16. Charging school fees is illegal, and so is sorting pupils into ability groups by streaming or setting.
Translations[edit]
Usage notes[edit]
  • A pupil is typically a young person, such as a schoolchild. Older learners, e.g. at university, are generally called students.

Etymology 2[edit]

Wikipedia has an article on:
Wikipedia

From Middle French pupille, from Latin pūpilla (“pupil; little girl, doll”), named because of the small reflected image seen when looking into someone's eye.

Noun[edit]

pupil (plural pupils)

  1. (anatomy) The hole in the middle of the iris of the eye, through which light passes to be focused on the retina.
Translations[edit]
Derived terms[edit]

Anagrams[edit]

Danish[edit]

Danish Wikipedia has an article on:
Wikipedia da

Etymology[edit]

From Latin pūpilla (“little girl”), diminutive of pūpa (“girl”).

Pronunciation[edit]

  • IPA(key): /pupil/, [pʰuˈpʰilˀ]

Noun[edit]

pupil c (singular definite pupillen, plural indefinite pupiller)

  1. pupil (the hole in the middle of the iris of the eye)

Declension[edit]

Declension of pupil
common
gender		 Singular Plural
indefinite definite indefinite definite
nominative pupil pupillen pupiller pupillerne
genitive pupils pupillens pupillers pupillernes

References[edit]

Malay[edit]

Etymology[edit]

Borrowing from Malay pupil, from Middle French pupille, from Latin pūpilla (“pupil; little girl, doll”).

Pronunciation[edit]

Noun[edit]

pupil (Jawi spelling ڤوڤيل, plural pupil-pupil)

  1. (anatomy) pupil (the hole in the middle of the iris of the eye)

Synonyms[edit]

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