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pu·pil¹

(pypəl)

1. A student under the direct supervision of a teacher or professor.

2. Law A minor under the supervision of a guardian.

[Middle English pupille, orphan, from Old French, from Latin pūpillus, diminutive of pūpus, boy.]

pupil·lar·y (-pə-lĕr′ē) adj.

pu·pil²

(pypəl)

The apparently black circular opening in the center of the iris of the eye, through which light passes to the retina.

[Middle English, from Old French pupille, from Latin pūpilla, little doll, pupil of the eye (from the tiny image reflected in it); see PUPIL¹.]

pupi·lar, pupil·lar·y (-pə-lĕr′ē) adj.

Indo-European & Semitic Roots Appendices

Thousands of entries in the dictionary include etymologies that trace their origins back to reconstructed proto-languages. You can obtain more information about these forms in our online appendices:

Indo-European Roots

Semitic Roots

The Indo-European appendix covers nearly half of the Indo-European roots that have left their mark on English words. A more complete treatment of Indo-European roots and the English words derived from them is available in our Dictionary of Indo-European Roots.

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