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pupille

pupil (of the eye); ward, pupil (person)

noun pü-PEE Rare
Body & Health Body Parts

Origin: Latin pupilla, diminutive of pupa (girl, doll) — the tiny reflection of yourself seen in another's eye

Also means

ward (legal minor)

Usage Note

Pupille is feminine in the eye sense (la pupille de l'œil), but in the 'ward, child in state care' sense it takes the gender of the child: un pupille or une pupille de l'État. In dim light you might say ses pupilles se dilatent (her pupils dilate).

Examples

"Ses pupilles se dilatent dans le noir."

Natural Translation

Her pupils dilate in the dark.

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