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