אישון

אישון

Hebrew

Etymology 1

Perhaps from אִישׁ‎ (ish, “man”).

Noun

אִישׁוֹן • (ishón) m (plural indefinite אִישׁוֹנִים‎, singular construct אִישׁוֹן־, plural construct אִישׁוֹנֵי־‎)

1. A pupil: the hole in the middle of the iris of the eye, through which light passes to be focused on the retina.
   • Deuteronomy 32:10:

     יִמְצָאֵהוּ בְּאֶרֶץ מִדְבָּר וּבְתֹהוּ יְלֵל יְשִׁמֹן יְסֹבְבֶנְהוּ יְבוֹנְנֵהוּ יִצְּרֶנְהוּ כְּאִישׁוֹן עֵינוֹ׃‎

     yimtsa'éihu b'érets midbár uv'tóhu y'lél y'shimón y'sov'vénhu y'von'néhu yits'rénhu k'ishón einó.

     He found him in a desert land, and in the waste howling wilderness; he led him about, he instructed him, he kept him as the apple of his eye.[1]

2. (Modern Hebrew) A bull's-eye: the center of a target, such as an archery target.

Derived terms

• שמרו כאישון עינו‎ (sh'maró k'ishón einó); אישון עיני‎ (ishón einí)

Etymology 2

From איש‎ (ish) +‎ ־ון‎ (-on): a diminutive of אִישׁ‎ (ish, “man”). Influenced by the above, if not directly related to it.

Noun

אִישׁוֹן • (ishón) m (plural indefinite אִישׁוֹנִים‎, singular construct אִישׁוֹן־, plural construct אִישׁוֹנֵי־‎)

1. A small man: a term of endearment or of disparagement.

Noun

אִישׁוֹן • (ishón) m

1. Alternative form of אֱשׁוּן‎ (eshún)
   • Proverbs 7:9:

     בְּנֶשֶׁף־בְּעֶרֶב יוֹם בְּאִישׁוֹן לַיְלָה וַאֲפֵלָה׃‎

     b'néshef-b'érev yom b'ishón láyla va'afelá.

     In the twilight, in the evening, in the black and dark night:[1]

Usage notes

• Rare except in the expression בְּאִישׁוֹן לַיְלָה‎ (b'ishón láyla).

Derived terms

• בְּאִישׁוֹן לַיְלָה‎ (b'ishón láyla)

References

• “אישון” in Abraham Even-Shoshan (אַבְרָהָם אֶבֶן־שֹׁשָן) et al., הַמִּלּוֹן הֶחָדָשׁ‎ (ha-milón he-khadásh, “The New Dictionary”), Kiryat-Sefer Ltd. (קִרְיַת־סֵפֶר בְּע״ם)‎ (1984), →ISBN, volume 1 of 3 (א to כ), →ISBN, page 43.

1. Bible (King James Version), London: Robert Barker, 1611.