Skip to the word

Added 4 October 2026

pupil

/ˈpjuːpəl/ noun

In Latin: studēns, discipulus, discipula Wiktionary

noun Definition from Wiktionary (CC BY-SA). Pronunciation from Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org. More about pupil at Wordnik → Where our words come from →

A learner at a school under the supervision of a teacher.
One who studies under supervision of a renowned expert in their field.
Plato was Socrates' pupil, and in turn Aristotle was Plato's pupil.
An orphan who is a minor and under the protection of the state.

noun

The hole in the middle of the iris of the eye, through which light passes to be focused on the retina.
The central dark part of an ocellated spot.

Origin

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

From Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org (CC BY-SA)

Back to today's word