Main definitions of pupil in English

: pupil¹ pupil²

pupil¹

See synonyms for pupil

Translate pupil into Spanish

noun

A student in school.
‘they are former pupils of the school’
- ‘will you take me on as your pupil?’
- ‘He told delegates the primary school pupil had attacked four teachers.’
- ‘The teachers also taught the pupils to sing one or two songs in a different language.’
- ‘Teachers are seen by pupils not to teach but as a way they can justify themselves at the next inspection.’
- ‘When I teach school pupils I make sure they have fun as well as know basic co-ordinated moves.’
- ‘Reports of abuse by gangs of students on both fellow pupils and teachers occur daily.’
- ‘Many students and school pupils returned home due to their teachers being on strike.’
- ‘The individual schools, pupils and teachers involved are not identified in the programme.’
- ‘Her killing has shocked teachers and pupils at her old school Southlands High, in the town.’
- ‘A good third of Hartman's helpers were high school pupils and university students.’
- ‘I have been in academic life now, pupil, student and teacher, for over half a century.’
- ‘It also has four primary schools and one high school, meaning good pupil to teacher ratios.’
- ‘A former sixth form pupil at Ulverston Victoria High School is returning as head teacher in September.’
- ‘Former pupils and teachers joined together to mark the closure of a school.’
- ‘In the second school, pupils were taught in bare rooms at the top of a narrow, stone staircase.’
- ‘The relation of master and apprentice was very close, not at all like the relation of pupil and teacher today.’
- ‘One in every five secondary school pupils plays truant, according to Whitehall.’
- ‘Over a quarter of all secondary school pupils in Rochdale played truant last year.’
- ‘A school is teaching pupils the importance of hand washing following an outbreak of ringworm.’
- ‘Lancaster University is offering dozens of school pupils a taste of student life this summer.’
- ‘Both teachers and pupils are looking forward to the new school term and all its challenges.’
student, schoolchild, schoolboy, schoolgirl, scholar
disciple, follower, learner, student, protégé, apprentice, trainee, mentee, probationer, novice, recruit, beginner, tyro, neophyte
View synonyms

Pronunciation

pupil

/ˈpyo͞op(ə)l/ /ˈpjup(ə)l/

Origin

Late Middle English (in the sense ‘orphan, ward’): from Old French pupille, from Latin pupillus (diminutive of pupus ‘boy’) and pupilla (diminutive of pupa ‘girl’).

Main definitions of pupil in English

: pupil¹ pupil²

pupil²

See synonyms for pupil

Translate pupil into Spanish

noun

The dark circular opening in the center of the iris of the eye, varying in size to regulate the amount of light reaching the retina.
‘your pupils are dilated’
- ‘she shines a light into his pupil’
- ‘Muscles controlling the iris change the size of the pupil according to light conditions.’
- ‘The pupils do not change size when a bright light is projected into them.’
- ‘It varies the size of the pupil and the thickness of the lens of the eyes to adjust for brightness and for distance.’
- ‘The cornea is the clear part of the outer layer of the eye that covers the iris and the pupil.’
- ‘Perhaps I did not observe closely enough the reaction of his pupils to light and accommodation.’
- ‘Look at the eyes again, concentrating on the light reflex in the iris and pupil.’
- ‘If the pupil is not dilated, the inflamed iris will stick to the lens, which can lead to scarring.’
- ‘The pupils should be dilated and the fundus examined in a darkened room.’
- ‘The cornea is hazy because of oedema, and the pupil is semidilated and fixed to light.’
- ‘The tests will dilate the pupils and make it impossible to drive or do close work for several hours afterwards.’
- ‘His pupils were dilated, and there was mild local swelling at the bite site.’
- ‘Staff in eye clinics often warn people whose pupils have been dilated not to drive home.’
- ‘Calmly I went in and looked in the mirror only to find that my left pupil was grossly dilated, the right one being normal and reacting.’
- ‘Her pupils responded by dilating to a bright light.’
- ‘It is held to the eyes and uses a green flashing light to scan the pupils.’
- ‘He says he has been prescribed pills which reduce the blurring by reducing the size of his pupil but he says he cannot drive at night now.’
- ‘If the glint appears right in the centre of the pupil then it means the person is making eye contact.’
- ‘It was not necessary for us to agonise over the state of the retina or retinal vessels through a small undilated pupil.’
- ‘The procedure involved displacing the lens from the pupil into the vitreous cavity.’
- ‘The pupil shrinks with age, allowing smaller amounts of light to filter into the eye to assist with vision.’