pawn

Pronunciation: /pɔːn/ (American)

Origin: Middle English, from Anglo-Norman French paun, from Latin pedo (foot soldier)

Part of Speech: noun, verb

Meanings:

1. (noun) A chess piece of the lowest value, moving only forward and capturing diagonally.
2. (noun) A person used by others for their own purposes.
3. (noun) An item left as security for a loan at a pawnshop.
4. (verb) To deposit an item as security for a loan.

Example Sentences:

1. The player advanced his pawn to the eighth rank and promoted it to a queen.
2. She felt like a pawn in the company's political games.
3. He pawned his watch to pay for groceries.

Related Words:

• Verb forms: pawn, pawns, pawning, pawned
• Noun forms: pawnbroker, pawnshop
• Synonyms:
  • (noun) piece, expendable, collateral
  • (verb) pledge, hock, mortgage

Memorization Trick:

Think of a "P-A-W-N" as a "Person Always Walking North" on a chessboard, as pawns can only move forward (north) in the game of chess.