Meaning
瞳孔 refers to the circular opening in the center of the iris that controls how much light enters the eye. It's the black circle you see in the middle of someone's eye that expands in darkness and contracts in bright light.
Usage
This is a medical and formal term used in anatomy, healthcare contexts, and literary descriptions. In everyday conversation, people rarely need this word unless discussing eye health or medical conditions. It commonly appears with verbs like 放大 (to dilate), 收缩 (to contract), or 扩散 (to expand).
Examples
- 01医生用手电筒检查了病人的瞳孔反应。.The doctor used a flashlight to check the patient's pupil response.
- 02在黑暗的环境中，人的瞳孔会自然放大以吸收更多光线。, .In dark environments, human pupils naturally dilate to absorb more light.
Characters
Measure words
- 个两个瞳孔
Common collocations
- 瞳孔放大pupil dilation
- 瞳孔收缩pupil contraction
- 瞳孔扩散pupil dilation/expansion
- 检查瞳孔to examine the pupils
Origin
瞳 originally meant 'child' or 'young person' because ancient Chinese observed that you could see a tiny reflection of yourself (like a small person) in someone's pupil. 孔 means 'hole' or 'opening.' Together they literally mean 'the hole with the reflection.'