אישון

Hebrew

Etymology 1

Perhaps from אִישׁ (ish, “man”).

Noun

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

1. (anatomy) 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.

2. (Modern Israeli Hebrew, military, firearms) bullseye (the centre of a target, inside the inner and magpie)

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.

Etymology 3

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:

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־שׁוֹשָׁן) 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.