Pronunciation: /pɔn/

Definitions of pawn

noun a person used by others for their own purposes, especially one who is not aware of this exploitation

Example Sentences

A1 I moved my pawn two spaces forward in the game of chess.

A2 The pawn shop offered me a low price for my old jewelry.

B1 He used his car as a pawn to secure a loan from the bank.

B2 The politician was accused of using his influence as a pawn in the corruption scandal.

C1 The CEO saw the merger as a strategic pawn in expanding the company's market share.

C2 The pawn in the game of international politics was carefully maneuvered by the diplomats.

verb to deposit (an object) with a pawnbroker as security for money lent

Example Sentences

A1 I pawn my old jewelry to get some quick cash.

A2 She pawned her watch to pay for her rent.

B1 He pawned his guitar to buy a new one.

B2 They pawned their car to invest in a business.

C1 The businessman pawned his valuable artwork to secure a loan for his company.

C2 She pawned her family heirloom to fund her start-up company.

Examples of pawn in a Sentence

formal The pawn moved forward two spaces on the chessboard.

informal I can't believe you sacrificed your pawn so early in the game.

slang He's just a pawn in their game, they'll use him and then discard him.

figurative She felt like a pawn in the company's power struggles, constantly being moved around at the whim of others.

Grammatical Forms of pawn

past tense

pawned

plural

pawns

comparative

more pawning

superlative

most pawning

present tense

pawn

future tense

will pawn

perfect tense

have pawned

continuous tense

is pawning

singular

pawn

positive degree

pawn

infinitive

to pawn

gerund

pawning

participle

pawned

Origin and Evolution of pawn

First Known Use: 1400 year
Language of Origin: Latin
Story behind the word: The word 'pawn' originated from the Old French word 'pan', which came from the Latin word 'pando' meaning 'to pledge'.
Evolution of the word: Originally used in the context of pledging or exchanging goods for money, the term 'pawn' has evolved to also refer to a chess piece or a person used by others for their own advantage.