pawn
Language: English
Part of speech: noun
Pronunciation: ipa: /pɔːn/
ipa: /pɔn/
ipa: /pɑn/
ipa: /pɑɒn/
homophone: porn (non-rhotic)
rhymes: -ɔːn
Forms: form: pawns
Etymology: 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”).
Senses: examples: text: All our jewellery was in pawn by this stage.
glosses: The state of being held as security for a loan, or as a pledge.
examples: text: Redeem from broking pawn the blemish'd crown.
ref: 1595 December 9 (first known performance), William Shakespeare, “The Life and Death of King Richard the Second”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies: Published According to the True Originall Copies (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act II, scene i]:
text: As therefore the morning devv, is a pavvne of the evenings fatneſſe, ſo, O Lord, let this daies comfort be the earneſt of to morrowes, […]
ref: 1624, John Donne, “19. Prayer”, in Deuotions upon Emergent Occasions, and Seuerall Steps in My Sicknes: […], London: […] A[ugustine] M[atthews] for Thomas Iones, →OCLC, page 508:
glosses: An instance of pawning something.
examples: text: My life I never held but as a pawn / To wage against thy enemies.
ref: c. 1603–1606, William Shakespeare, “The Tragedie of King Lear”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act I, scene i]:
text: Brokers, takers of pawns, biting userers, I will not admit; yet […] I will tolerate some kind of usery.
ref: 1624, Democritus Junior [pseudonym; Robert Burton], The Anatomy of Melancholy: […], 2nd edition, Oxford, Oxfordshire: […] John Lichfield and James Short, for Henry Cripps, →OCLC:
text: As for mortgaging or pawning,[…]men will not take pawns without use [i.e. interest].
ref: 1625, Francis [Bacon], “Of Usury”, in The Essayes […], 3rd edition, London: […] Iohn Haviland for Hanna Barret, →OCLC:
glosses: An item given as security on a loan, or as a pledge.
glosses: A pawnshop; pawnbroker.
Synonyms: word: pawn
Hypernyms: word: chess piece
Hyponyms: word: queen's pawn
word: king's pawn
word: rook's pawn
word: knight's pawn
word: bishop's pawn
word: central pawn
word: queen's rook's pawn
word: queen's knight's pawn
word: queen's bishop's pawn
word: king's rook's pawn
word: king's knight's pawn
word: king's bishop's pawn
word: a-pawn
word: b-pawn
word: c-pawn
word: d-pawn
word: e-pawn
word: f-pawn
word: g-pawn
word: h-pawn
word: advanced pawn
word: backward pawn
word: connected pawn
word: doubled pawn
word: tripled pawn
word: isolated pawn
word: isolani
word: poisoned pawn
word: passed pawn
word: passer
word: outside passed pawn
word: remote passed pawn
word: wrong rook pawn
Derived terms: impawn
pawnbroker
pawnee
pawner
pawning
pawnshop
pawnticket
Related terms: word: en passant
word: promotion
word: underpromotion
word: pawn race
word: pawn storm
word: push
word: centipawn
word: open file
word: half-open file
word: closed file
word: hole
word: Appendix:Chess pieces