PAWN


Meaning of PAWN in English

I. ˈpȯn, ˈpän noun

Etymology: Middle English pown, from Anglo-French peoun, paun, from Medieval Latin pedon-, pedo foot soldier, from Latin ped-, pes foot — more at foot

Date: 14th century

1. : one of the chessmen of least value having the power to move only forward ordinarily one square at a time, to capture only diagonally forward, and to be promoted to any piece except a king upon reaching the eighth rank

2. : one that can be used to further the purposes of another

II. noun

Etymology: Middle English paun, from Middle French dialect (Walloon, Flanders) pan

Date: 15th century

1.

a. : something delivered to or deposited with another as security for a loan

b. : hostage

2. : the state of being pledged

3. : something used as a pledge : guaranty

4. : the act of pawning

III. transitive verb

Date: 1570

: to deposit in pledge or as security especially in exchange for money

• pawn·er ˈpȯ-nər, ˈpä- also paw·nor same or pȯ-ˈnȯr, pä- noun

Merriam-Webster's Collegiate English vocabulary.      Энциклопедический словарь английского языка Merriam Webster.