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/, /ˈpeɪ.ɒn/

• Audio (Southern England):

  (file)

• Audio (Southern England):

  (file)

• (General American) IPA^(key): /ˈpi.ɑn/, /ˈpeɪ.ɑn/
• (especially sense 3, obsolete) IPA^(key): /pɪˈuːn/, /pjuːn/^[1]
• Rhymes: -iːən, -ɒn, -iɑn, -eɪɑn
• Homophones: paean, pee-on (one pronunciation)

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.
   • 2011, Shehan Karunatilaka, Chinaman: The Legend of Pradeep Mathew, Jonathan Cape, page 260:

     He is well dressed in cheap clothing. Like an office peon whose wife works in a laundry.

3. (India, historical) A messenger, foot soldier, or native policeman.

• peonage

• Douglas Harper (2001–2025) “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.

• pedon (archaic)
• paon, pion, poon, poun
• paun, peoun, poune, pounne

Inherited from Late Latin pedōnem (“pedestrian”).

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

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

1. one who goes on foot; pedestrian

   (military) infantryman

   (chess) pawn

• peon on the Anglo-Norman On-Line Hub
• “peon”, in DEAF: Dictionnaire Étymologique de l'Ancien Français, Heidelberg: Heidelberger Akademie der Wissenschaften, 1968-.

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

Borrowed from Spanish peón, from Late Latin pedō.

peon m pers

1. (agriculture, 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 Polish dictionaries at PWN

Borrowed from French péon or Spanish peón.

peon m (plural peoni)

1. peon

• piyon

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

• (Standard Tagalog) IPA^(key): /peˈon/ [pɛˈon̪]
• Rhymes: -on
• Syllabification: pe‧on

peón (Baybayin spelling ᜉᜒᜌᜓᜈ᜔)

1. peon
2. (chess) pawn

• “peon”, in Pambansang Diksiyonaryo | Diksiyonaryo.ph, Manila, 2018