Wiktionary

pawn

English

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 Pawn on Wikipedia

Pronunciation

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Etymology 1

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A black pawn in chess

From Middle English pown, from Anglo-Norman poun, paun (“footman”), from Late Latin pedōnem (“pedestrian”), derived fom Latin ped- (“foot”). Doublet of peon.

Noun

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pawn (plural pawns)

  1. (chess) The most numerous chess piece, or a similar piece in a similar game. In chess, each side starts with eight; moves are only forward, and attacks are only diagonally or en passant.
  2. (figurative) Someone who is being manipulated or used to some end.
    Though a pawn of the gods, her departure is the precipitating cause of the Trojan War.
    • 2022 December 14, Mel Holley, “Network News: Strikes go on as RMT rejects RDG's "detrimental" offer”, in RAIL, number 972, page 9:
      He delivered a broadside to the RMT leadership, saying: "This response to a significantly enhanced offer exposes their true priority - using the British public and NR workers as pawns in a fight with the Government.
Synonyms
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Derived terms
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Translations
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See also

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Chess pieces in English · chess pieces, chessmen (see also: chess) (layout · text)
           
king queen rook, castle bishop knight pawn

Etymology 2

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From Middle French pan (“pledge, security”), apparently from a Germanic language (compare Middle Dutch pant, Old High German pfant).

Noun

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pawn (countable and uncountable, plural pawns)

  1. (uncountable) The state of being held as security for a loan, or as a pledge.
    All our jewellery was in pawn by this stage.
  2. An instance of pawning something.
  3. (now rare) An item given as security on a loan, or as a pledge.
  4. (rare) A pawnshop; pawnbroker.
Translations
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Verb

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pawn (third-person singular simple present pawns, present participle pawning, simple past and past participle pawned)

  1. To pledge; to stake or wager.
  2. To give as security on a loan of money; especially, to deposit (something) at a pawn shop.
    • 1904, Henry Warren, The Customer's Guide to Banking, page 7:
      A certain, and probably an appreciable, proportion of his so-called money at call and short notice would consist of fortnightly advances made to members of the Stock Exchange against pawned stocks and shares.
    • 1965, Bob Dylan, Like a Rolling Stone:
      But you'd better take your diamond ring, you'd better pawn it, babe.
Synonyms
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Derived terms
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Translations
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See also
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Etymology 3

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Noun

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pawn (countable and uncountable, plural pawns)

  1. Alternative form of paan
    • 1832, Meer Hassan Ali, Observations on the Mussulmauns of India:
      A tray filled with pawns, prepared with the usual ingredients, as lime cuttie (a bitter gum), betel-nut, tobacco, spices, &c.
    • 1892, Chambers's Journal, volume 69, page 320:
      To our English taste, pawn is very offensive; but the natives of India relish it, and regard it as a necessity. It is much eaten by Mohammedans of both sexes, and by the natives of Bengal.

Etymology 4

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(This etymology is missing or incomplete. Please add to it, or discuss it at the Etymology scriptorium.)

Noun

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pawn (plural pawns)

  1. A gallery.

Etymology 5

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Verb

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pawn (third-person singular simple present pawns, present participle pawning, simple past and past participle pawned)

  1. (video games) Alternative form of pwn

Anagrams

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Middle English

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Noun

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pawn

  1. Alternative form of pown (“pawn”)
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