apple of someone's eye

Deuteronomy 32:10d: "He guarded him as the apple of his eye.", from Middle English appel of the eyȝe, appel of þe ye (“eyeball; the visible part of the eye; pupil”), a dissimilated variant of Middle English ij appel (literally “eye-apple”). Compare English eye-apple.

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apple of someone's eye (plural apples of someone's eye)

1. (idiomatic) A favourite, a particular preference, or a loved one; the object of somebody's affections.

   Sara was never the same after losing her daughter, the apple of her eye.

• eye-apple

• apple of the eye