orig. in reference to the pupil of one's eye (in OE simply æppel; compare Old High Germanapful with similar sense); later misunderstood
apple of one's eye in Culture
apple of one's eye definition
The favorite object of a person's love or affection: “Linda was fond of all the horses on the ranch, but the little palomino was the apple of her eye.”
Idioms and Phrases with apple of one's eye
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 ]