pilgrim

[ pil-grim, -gruhm ]

noun

1. a person who journeys, especially a long distance, to some sacred place as an act of religious devotion:

   pilgrims to the Holy Land.

2. a traveler or wanderer, especially in a foreign place.
3. an original settler in a region.
4. (initial capital letter) one of the band of Puritans who founded the colony of Plymouth, Mass., in 1620.
5. a newcomer to a region or place, especially to the western U.S.

pilgrim

¹

/ ˈpɪlɡrɪm /

noun

1. a person who undertakes a journey to a sacred place as an act of religious devotion
2. any wayfarer

Pilgrim

²

/ ˈpɪlɡrɪm /

noun

1. See Canterbury Pilgrims

Other Words From

• pilgri·matic pilgri·mati·cal adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of pilgrim¹

First recorded in 1150–1200; Middle English pelegrim, pilegrim, cognate with Old Frisian pilegrīm, Middle Low German pelegrīm, Old High German piligrīm, Old Norse pīlagrīmr, all from Medieval Latin pelegrīnus, dissimilated variant of Latin peregrīnus peregrine

Word History and Origins

Origin of pilgrim¹

C12: from Provençal pelegrin, from Latin peregrīnus foreign, from per through + ager field, land; see peregrine

Example Sentences

You know, the same questions that vexed the pilgrims all those years ago.

From Los Angeles Times

After complaints from pilgrims and laddu makers, they sent samples for lab tests which revealed that four tankers from AR Dairy in Tamil Nadu were of substandard quality.

From BBC

The bus route from Pokhara to Kathmandu is very popular among Indian tourists and pilgrims.

From BBC

A bus carrying Pakistani pilgrims overturned in Iran, killing at least 28 passengers, Iranian state media report.

From BBC

In June, nine Hindu pilgrims were killed and dozens injured after militants opened fire on a bus in Reasi - where the bridge is located - in one of the deadliest militant attacks in recent years.

From BBC

Related Words

• settler
• traveler