peon

From a combination of Middle French pion, peon and Spanish peón, both from Late Latin pedōnem (“pedestrian”). Doublet of pawn.

• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /ˈpiː.ən/, /peɪˈɒn/
• (General American) IPA^(key): /ˈpi.ɑn/, /ˈpeɪ.ɑn/
• (especially sense 3, obsolete) IPA^(key): /pɪˈuːn/, /pjuːn/[1]
• Rhymes: -iːən, -ɒn, -iɑn, -eɪɑn
• Homophone: paean

peon (plural peons or peones)

1. A lowly person; a peasant or serf; a labourer who is obliged to do menial work.
2. (figurative) A person of low rank or importance.
3. (India, historical) A messenger, foot soldier, or native policeman.

• peonage

• Douglas Harper (2001–2023), “peon”, in Online Etymology Dictionary.

• Nope, nope, open, peno-, pone

• pion

From Hellenistic Ancient Greek παιωνία (paiōnía), from Ancient Greek Παιών (Paiṓn, “Paean, physician of the gods”)/παιών (paiṓn, “a physician”).

peon m (definite singular peonen, indefinite plural peoner, definite plural peonene)

1. a peony (genus Paeonia)

• peonrød

• “peon” in The Bokmål Dictionary.

• pion

From Hellenistic Ancient Greek παιωνία (paiōnía), from Ancient Greek Παιών (Paiṓn, “Paean, physician of the gods”)/παιών (paiṓn, “a physician”).

peon m (definite singular peonen, indefinite plural peonar, definite plural peonane)

1. a peony (genus Paeonia)

• “peon” in The Bokmål Dictionary.

• paun, peoun, poun, poune, pounne
• poon, paon

From Late Latin pedōnem (“pedestrian”), from Latin pedem (“foot”).

• (classical, late) IPA^(key): /pəˈun/, /paˈun/, /puˈun/

peon m (oblique plural peons, nominative singular peons, nominative plural peon)

1. walker; pedestrian
2. (chess) pawn

• French: pion
• → Middle English: pown, powne, poun, poune, pon, pawn, pawne, paun, pewne
  • English: pawn
  • Scots: poun

• peon on the Anglo-Norman On-Line Hub

• IPA^(key): /ˈpɛ.ɔn/
• Rhymes: -ɛɔn
• Syllabification: pe‧on

Borrowed from Spanish peón, from Late Latin pedō, pedōnem (“footsoldier”).

peon m pers

1. (historical) peon (lowly person; a peasant or serf; a labourer who is obliged to do menial work)

Learned borrowing from Ancient Greek παιών (paiṓn).

peon m inan

1. (poetry) paeon (foot containing any pattern of three short syllables and one long syllable)

• peon in Wielki słownik języka polskiego, Instytut Języka Polskiego PAN
• peon in Polish dictionaries at PWN

From French péon or Spanish peon.

peon m (plural peoni)

1. peon

• piyon

Borrowed from Spanish peón, from Late Latin pedōnem (“pedestrian”), from Latin ped- (“foot”).

• Hyphenation: pe‧on
• IPA^(key): /peˈon/, [peˈon]

peón (Baybayin spelling ᜉᜒᜌᜓᜈ᜔)

1. peon
2. (chess) pawn

• “peon”, in Pambansang Diksiyonaryo | Diksiyonaryo.ph, Manila: Komisyon sa Wikang Filipino, 2018