/ ˌpaɪəˈnɪə(r); NAmE -ˈnɪr/ noun , verb
■ noun
1.
pioneer (in / of sth) a person who is the first to study and develop a particular area of knowledge, culture, etc. that other people then continue to develop
SYN trailblazer :
a pioneer in the field of microsurgery
a computer pioneer
a pioneer aviator
a pioneer design (= one that introduces new ideas, methods, etc.)
2.
one of the first people to go to a particular area in order to live and work there :
the pioneer spirit
■ verb
[ vn ] when sb pioneers sth, they are one of the first people to do, discover or use sth new :
a new technique pioneered by surgeons in a London hospital
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WORD ORIGIN
early 16th cent. (as a military term denoting a member of the infantry): from French pionnier foot soldier, pioneer, Old French paonier , from paon , from Latin pedo , pedon- foot soldier, from Latin pes , ped- foot.