Link Centre Dictionary

pawn

UK/ˈpɔːn/ US/ˈpoːn/ fairly common
noun (4) verb (1)

noun

1.

an article deposited as security

2.

a person used by another to gain an end

Synonyms
3.

(chess) the least powerful piece; moves only forward and captures only to the side; it can be promoted to a more powerful piece if it reaches the 8th rank

4.

verb

1.

leave as a guarantee in return for money

  • “pawn your grandfather”
Synonyms

Origin

From Middle English paun, pawyn, pawnd, from Old French pan, pant (“pledge for a payment”), from a Germanic language, perhaps Frankish *pand (“deposit, security, pledge”), further origin uncertain. Cognate with Saterland Frisian Pound (“deposit, pledge, pawn”), West Frisian pân (“pawn”), Dutch pand (“pledge, pawn”), German Low German Pand (“deposit, pledge, pawn”), German Pfand (“deposit, pledge, pawn”), Swedish pant (“pledge, pawn”), Faroese pantur (“security, lien”), Icelandic pantur (“pledge, security, pawn”).

Phrases

  • advanced pawn
  • Appendix:Chess pieces
  • backward pawn
  • bishop's pawn
  • central pawn
  • closed file
  • connected pawn
  • doubled pawn
  • en passant
  • half-open file
  • isolated pawn
  • king's bishop's pawn

Related words

Word family

Broader terms

WordNet 2.1 (Princeton University). Wiktionary (CC BY-SA). CMU Pronouncing Dictionary. WordNet 2.1 Copyright Princeton University. All rights reserved. Wiktionary content is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike Licence.