English · Word Candidate

pupil

/ˈpjuːpəl/

Proposed by a contributor, not yet supported by evidence.

Also seen as: pupils

Sense 1

Meaning · English

A learner at a school under the supervision of a teacher.

Noun

Examples

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

Usage example from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-08-01)

Sources & notes

Adapted from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-08-01 via kaikki.org).

Sense 2

Meaning · English

One who studies under supervision of a renowned expert in their field.

Noun

Examples

Plato was Socrates' pupil, and in turn Aristotle was Plato's pupil.

Usage example from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-08-01)

Sources & notes

Adapted from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-08-01 via kaikki.org).

Sense 3

Meaning · English

The hole in the middle of the iris of the eye, through which light passes to be focused on the retina.

Noun

Examples

There are sharks with round pupils, sharks with slitlike pupils, and some with pupils that expand and contract with the amount of light available. As unimpressive as this might sound to people who are used to having their pupils dilate and contract regularly, realize that no bony fish has this modif

Usage example from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-08-01)

Sources & notes

Adapted from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-08-01 via kaikki.org).

Sense 4

Meaning · English

The central dark part of an ocellated spot.

Noun

Sources & notes

Adapted from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-08-01 via kaikki.org).

Common questions

What does “pupil” mean?

A learner at a school under the supervision of a teacher.

Is “pupil” formal or informal?

No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.