apple of one's eye
Related to apple of one's eye: apple of discord, Beat about the Bush
the apple of (one's) eye
A cherished or favored person. This phrase is thought to be Biblical in origin. My nephew is just the apple of my eye. He has five kids, but his only daughter is clearly the apple of his eye.
See also: apple, eye, of
Farlex Dictionary of Idioms.
apple of one's eye
Special favorite, beloved person or thing, as in The youngest was the apple of his father's eye. This term, which rests on the ancients' idea that the eye's pupil is apple-shaped and that eyes are particularly precious, appears in the Bible (Deuteronomy 32:10). [Early 1600s]
See also: apple, eye, of
The American Heritage® Dictionary of Idioms by Christine Ammer.
apple of one's eye, the
A cherished person or thing. The term comes from the ancient concept that the eye’s pupil was a solid, apple-shaped body, and, being essential to sight, was precious. It appears in the Bible (Deuteronomy 32:10): “He [the Lord] kept him [Israel] as the apple of his eye.”
See also: apple, of
The Dictionary of Clichés by Christine Ammer
- apple of
- apple of eye
- apple of my eye
- the apple of (one's) eye
- the apple of somebody's eye
- the apple of your eye
- corn in Egypt
- get thee behind me
- millstone
- nether