apple of the eye
Preserved but no longer current.
The pupil, because it was anciently supposed to be a round solid ball like an apple. Figuratively applied to anything extremely dear or extremely sensitive. He kept him as the apple of his eye. — Deut. xxxii, 10.
Era: ca. 1898 (Victorian)
Sources & notes
Reproduced from Brewer’s Dictionary of Phrase and Fable (1898 edition, public domain; archive.org, retrieved 2026-07-31; OCR text, minor errors possible). Reflects the scholarship and attitudes of its era.
Common questions
What does “apple of the eye” mean?
The pupil, because it was anciently supposed to be a round solid ball like an apple. Figuratively applied to anything extremely dear or extremely sensitive. He kept him as the apple of his eye. — Deut. xxxii, 10.
Is “apple of the eye” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.