apple of the eye

noun
/ˈæp.əl.əv.ðiˈaɪ/US

Etymology

From Middle English appel of the eyȝe, appel of þe ye, perhaps dissimilated from Middle English ij appel (literally “eye-apple”). More at eye-apple.

  1. derived from ij appel
  2. inherited from appel of the eyȝe

Definitions

  1. The pupil, or pupil and iris, of the eye, originally believed to be spherical

    The pupil, or pupil and iris, of the eye, originally believed to be spherical; also, the eyeball.

The neighborhood

Vish — recursive loop

No curated loop yet for apple of the eye. Loops are being traced one word at a time while the ingestion pipeline matures.

sense glosses and etymology drawn from English Wiktionary · source · CC-BY-SA