peon

¹

[ pee-uhn, pee-on ]

noun

1. (in Spanish America) a farm worker or unskilled laborer; day laborer.
2. (formerly, especially in Mexico) a person held in servitude to work off debts or other obligations.
3. any person of low social status, especially one who does work regarded as menial or unskilled; drudge.

peon

²

[ pee-uhn, pee-on ]

noun

1. a messenger, attendant, or orderly.
2. a foot soldier or police officer.

peon

¹

/ ˈpiːɒn; pjuːn; ˈpiːən /

noun

1. a messenger or attendant, esp in an office
2. a native policeman
3. a foot soldier

peon

²

/ ˈpiːɒn; ˈpiːən /

noun

1. a Spanish-American farm labourer or unskilled worker
2. (formerly in Spanish America) a debtor compelled to work off his debts
3. any very poor person

Word History and Origins

Origin of peon¹

1820–30; < Spanish peón peasant, day laborer < Vulgar Latin *pedōn- (stem of *pedō ) walker (whence Medieval Latin pedōnēs infantry, Old French peon pawn ² ), derivative of Latin ped- (stem of pēs ) foot

Origin of peon²

1600–10; < Portuguese peão, French pion foot soldier, pedestrian, day laborer. See peon ¹

Word History and Origins

Origin of peon¹

C17: from Portuguese peão orderly; see peon ¹

Origin of peon²

C19: from Spanish peón peasant, from Medieval Latin pedō man who goes on foot, from Latin pēs foot; compare Old French paon pawn ²

Example Sentences

During the same press conference in Dhaka, she said she had taken action against a household assistant – or peon - after he allegedly amassed $34 million.

From BBC

“He was the highest-paid actor in the world. I was a peon.”

From Los Angeles Times

You, the peon in this unequal relationship, are the one who’s supposed to make the pilgrimage to pay your respects to the king.

From Washington Post

Translation: Today, a peon testified in Congress; she is too unimportant to name Translation: Today, a peon testified in Congress; she is too unimportant to name.

From The Verge

Masters started out as “a complete peon” on the set of 1986’s “Big Trouble in Little China” before rising through the ranks as a makeup artist.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• drudge
• hireling