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pawn

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pawn¹

  • /ˈpɔːn/ UK
  • /ˈpoːn/ Australia, British, New Zealand, Southern, Standard
  • /ˈpɔn/
  • [ˈpoə̯n] ~ [ˈpʊə̯n]
  • [ˈpɑn] ~ [ˈpɒn] Inland Northern American
  • [ˈpɑɒ̯n] ~ [ˈpɒɔ̯n] Southern US
  • /ˈpɑn/ cot caught merger
  • [ˈpɑn]
  • [ˈpɒn]
  • [ˈpän]
  • /ˈpɒn/ Canada
  • /ˈpɔn/ Scotland

Sounds like porn (non-rhotic) · Rhymes with -ɔːn

Where it comes from

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”).

noun pawns

  1. uncountable The state of being held as security for a loan, or as a pledge. All our jewellery was in pawn by this stage.
  2. countable, uncountable An instance of pawning something. Redeem from broking pawn the blemish'd crown.
  3. archaic, countable, uncountable An item given as security on a loan, or as a pledge. My life I never held but as a pawn / To wage against thy enemies.
  4. countable, rare, uncountable A pawnshop; pawnbroker.

Similar: pawn

verb pawns · pawning · pawned

  1. transitive To pledge; to stake or wager.
  2. transitive To give as security on a loan of money; especially, to deposit (something) at a pawn shop. A certain, and probably an appreciable, proportion of his so-called money at call and short notice would consist of fortnightly advances made to members of the Stock Exchange against pawned stocks and shares.

pawn²

  • /ˈpɔːn/ UK
  • /ˈpoːn/ Australia, British, New Zealand, Southern, Standard
  • /ˈpɔn/
  • [ˈpoə̯n] ~ [ˈpʊə̯n]
  • [ˈpɑn] ~ [ˈpɒn] Inland Northern American
  • [ˈpɑɒ̯n] ~ [ˈpɒɔ̯n] Southern US
  • /ˈpɑn/ cot caught merger
  • [ˈpɑn]
  • [ˈpɒn]
  • [ˈpän]
  • /ˈpɒn/ Canada
  • /ˈpɔn/ Scotland

Sounds like porn (non-rhotic) · Rhymes with -ɔːn

Where it comes from

From Middle English pown, from Anglo-Norman poun, paun (“footman”), from Late Latin pedōnem (“pedestrian”), derived from Latin ped- (“foot”). Doublet of peon.

noun pawns

  1. The most numerous chess piece, or a similar piece in a similar game. In chess, each side starts with eight; moves are only forward, and attacks are only diagonally or en passant. The pawn may move forward to the square immediately in front of it on the same file, provided that this square is unoccupied […] Consequently, in the initial position the white pieces and pawns are placed on the first and second ranks; the black pieces and pawns on the eighth and seventh ranks.
  2. idiomatic A person being manipulated by another, being used to some end. Near-synonym: chess piece

Similar: pawn

pawn³

  • /ˈpɔːn/ UK
  • /ˈpoːn/ Australia, British, New Zealand, Southern, Standard
  • /ˈpɔn/
  • [ˈpoə̯n] ~ [ˈpʊə̯n]
  • [ˈpɑn] ~ [ˈpɒn] Inland Northern American
  • [ˈpɑɒ̯n] ~ [ˈpɒɔ̯n] Southern US
  • /ˈpɑn/ cot caught merger
  • [ˈpɑn]
  • [ˈpɒn]
  • [ˈpän]
  • /ˈpɒn/ Canada
  • /ˈpɔn/ Scotland

Sounds like porn (non-rhotic) · Rhymes with -ɔːn

noun pawns

  1. alternative, countable, uncountable Alternative form of paan.paan A tray filled with pawns, prepared with the usual ingredients, as lime cuttie (a bitter gum), betel-nut, tobacco, spices, &c.

Similar: pawn

pawn⁴

  • /ˈpɔːn/ UK
  • /ˈpoːn/ Australia, British, New Zealand, Southern, Standard
  • /ˈpɔn/
  • [ˈpoə̯n] ~ [ˈpʊə̯n]
  • [ˈpɑn] ~ [ˈpɒn] Inland Northern American
  • [ˈpɑɒ̯n] ~ [ˈpɒɔ̯n] Southern US
  • /ˈpɑn/ cot caught merger
  • [ˈpɑn]
  • [ˈpɒn]
  • [ˈpän]
  • /ˈpɒn/ Canada
  • /ˈpɔn/ Scotland

Sounds like porn (non-rhotic) · Rhymes with -ɔːn

noun pawns

  1. A gallery.

Similar: pawn

pawn⁵

  • /ˈpɔːn/ UK
  • /ˈpoːn/ Australia, British, New Zealand, Southern, Standard
  • /ˈpɔn/
  • [ˈpoə̯n] ~ [ˈpʊə̯n]
  • [ˈpɑn] ~ [ˈpɒn] Inland Northern American
  • [ˈpɑɒ̯n] ~ [ˈpɒɔ̯n] Southern US
  • /ˈpɑn/ cot caught merger
  • [ˈpɑn]
  • [ˈpɒn]
  • [ˈpän]
  • /ˈpɒn/ Canada
  • /ˈpɔn/ Scotland

Sounds like porn (non-rhotic) · Rhymes with -ɔːn

verb pawns · pawning · pawned

  1. alternative Alternative spelling of pwn.pwn

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