peon

noun

pe·on ˈpē-ˌän

-ən,

also for sense 2 pā-ˈōn,

British also for sense 1

ˈpyün

plural peons or peones pā-ˈō-nēz

Synonyms of peon

: any of various workers in India, Sri Lanka, or Malaysia: such as

: infantryman

: orderly

: a member of the landless laboring class in Spanish America

plural peons

: a person held in compulsory servitude to a master for the working out of an indebtedness

: drudge, menial

Examples of peon in a Sentence

“Those rich politicians don't care about peons like us,” she complained. the company had plenty of low-paying positions for people who were content to be peons all their lives

Recent Examples on the Web

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Not only does the peon and con man Tom end up refashioning himself as the rich and carefree Dickie, but Highsmith’s novel itself was a retelling of Henry James’s The Ambassadors. —Hillary Kelly, The Atlantic, 19 Apr. 2024 Not afraid but brave, not weak but empowered, not peons but partners. —Ashley Lee, Los Angeles Times, 25 Feb. 2024

The powwow features various contests, including powwow singing, dancing, drumming, and peon games, with a total prize money pool of nearly $125,000 for this year’s participants. —Lauren J. Mapp, San Diego Union-Tribune, 4 Jan. 2024 The comic book will also share information about the present-day Kumeyaay Nation and its cultural traditions like peon, a game of chance played with bones, sticks and blankets primarily during traditional Southern Californian tribal gatherings. —Lauren J. Mapp, San Diego Union-Tribune, 22 July 2023 The problem is manifested, for instance, in the absurdly long queues for even low-paying government jobs: India Today reported yesterday (June 6) that the government of Uttar Pradesh had received more than 5.5 million applications for the positions of gardeners, watchmen, and office peons. —Niharika Sharma, Quartz, 7 June 2023 The free event starts Jan. 6 with a fireworks show at 7 p.m. followed by the first grand entry of the weekend scheduled for 8 p.m. Between the powwow singing, dancing, drumming and peon games contests, there is nearly $125,000 in prize money available to this year’s competitors. —San Diego Union-Tribune, 2 Jan. 2023 Time ran out far too soon for my old friend Mike Leach, which is cruel and unfair and truly sad, because Mike always seemed to have so much time for everybody else, even a young peon journalist like me in 1999. —Brent Schrotenboer, USA TODAY, 14 Dec. 2022 Kids and adults played peon or hand games traditional to the region. —Debra Utacia Krol, The Arizona Republic, 28 Aug. 2022

Word History

Etymology

(sense 1) borrowed from French pion "(in 17th & 18th-century French India) infantry soldier, domestic servant," going back to Old French peon, pion "foot soldier"; (senses 2-3) borrowed from American Spanish peón "laborer, infantry soldier," going back to Late Latin pedōn-, pedō "person with flat feet, person going on foot" (Medieval Latin, "foot soldier") — more at pawn entry 1

Note: Sense 1 is perhaps influenced in usage by Portuguese peão with a similar range of meaning. The Oxford English Dictionary, third edition, notes an earlier pronunciation /pɪˈuːn/ or /pjuːn/ for sense 1.

First Known Use

1609, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler

The first known use of peon was in 1609

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Penzias

peon

peonage

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Cite this Entry

Style

“Peon.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/peon. Accessed 8 Apr. 2025.

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Kids Definition

peon

noun

pe·on ˈpē-ˌän -ən

: a poor farm laborer especially in Latin America

: a person who does hard or dull work

peonage

ˈpē-ə-nij

noun

peon

noun

Synonyms

Examples of peon in a Sentence

Word History

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peon

noun

Synonyms

Examples of peon in a Sentence

Word History

Rhymes for peon

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

Share

Kids Definition

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