Hebrew

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.

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:^[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 965-17-0084-X, volume 1 of 3 (א to כ), ISBN 965-17-0095-5, page 43.

1. 1 2 (1611) Authorized King James translation.