pawn Hear it!

pawn1 definition

pawn (pôn)

noun

  1. anything given as security, as for a debt, performance of an action, etc.; pledge; guaranty
  2. a hostage
  3. the state of being pledged to put a ring in pawn
  4. the act of pawning

Etymology: LME paun < MFr pan, piece of cloth < L pannus, cloth (? used as medium of exchange): see pane

transitive verb

  1. to give as security; put in pawn
  2. to stake, wager, or risk to pawn one's honor

Related Forms:

pawn Idioms

pawn off

palm off (see phrase under palm)
pawn2 definition

pawn (pôn)

noun

  1. a chessman of the lowest value: it can be moved only forward and one square at a time (or two squares on its first move), but it captures with a diagonal move
  2. a person used to advance another's purposes; tool

Etymology: ME poun < OFr peon < ML pedo (gen. pedonis), foot soldier < LL, one who has flat feet < L pes, foot

Webster's New World College Dictionary Copyright © 2005 by Wiley Publishing, Inc., Cleveland, Ohio.
Used by arrangement with John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

Alternate definitions:

law pawn definition - legal

pawn Synonyms

pawn

n.

  1. A person used for another's purposes

    cat's-paw, dupe, fool; see tool 2, victim 2.

  2. Something given as security

    pledge, collateral, security; see pledge. See syn. study at pledge.


pawn

v.

deposit, pledge, give in earnest, hock*, hang up*, leave with uncle*, lay in lavender*, soak*, pop*; see also sell 1.


Webster's New World Roget's A-Z Thesaurus Copyright © 1999 by Wiley Publishing, Inc., Cleveland, Ohio.
Used by arrangement with John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

pawn Usage Examples

Preposition: on

  • chessboard: They can be merely cash-cows to local authorities and pawns on the chessboard of traffic management to planners.

Adjective modifier

  • unwitting: Throughout time, man has been an unwitting pawn in the battle waged between heaven and hell.

Converse of object

  • become: No-one should ever become a pawn in our ' game of life ' .

Modifies a noun

  • broker: This allows you to hand write in the pawn broker 's entries.

Preposition: in

  • game: She was herself a kind of toy, a pawn in a chess game.

Preposition: of

  • landlord: Periods of or pawn of a landlord over the holidays.
pawn usage examples (more)

The word usage examples above have been gathered from various sources to reflect current and historical usage. They do not represent the opinions of YourDictionary.com.

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MLA Style

"pawn." Webster's New World College Dictionary. 2009

  • Your Dictionary. 5 July 2009
  • <www.yourdictionary.com/pawn>

APA Style

pawn. (2009). In Webster's New World College Dictionary

  • Retrieved July 5th, 2009, from www.yourdictionary.com/pawn

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