Main Entry: ¹pawn

Pronunciation: \ˈpȯn, ˈpän\

Function: noun

Etymology: Middle English pown, from Anglo-French peoun, paun, from Medieval Latin pedon-, pedo foot soldier, from Latin ped-, pes foot — more at foot

Date: 14th century

1 : one of the chessmen of least value having the power to move only forward ordinarily one square at a time, to capture only diagonally forward, and to be promoted to any piece except a king upon reaching the eighth rank
2 : one that can be used to further the purposes of another