pioneer

[ pahy-uh-neer ]

noun

1. a person who is among those who first enter or settle a region, thus opening it for occupation and development by others.
2. a person, group, or thing that is first or among the earliest in any field of inquiry, enterprise, or development:

   a woman who was a pioneer in cancer research;

   vehicles that were pioneers of automotive engineering.

   Synonyms: innovator, groundbreaker, trailblazer, leader

3. one of a group of foot soldiers detailed to make roads, dig intrenchments, etc., in advance of the main body.
4. Ecology. an organism that successfully establishes itself in a barren area, thus starting an ecological cycle of life.
5. Pioneer, Aerospace. one of a series of U.S. space probes that explored the solar system and transmitted scientific information to earth.
6. Pioneer, (formerly) a member of a Communist organization in the Soviet Union for children ranging in age from 10 to 16. Compare Komsomol ( def 2 ), Octobrist ( def ).

verb (used without object)

1. to act as a pioneer.

verb (used with object)

1. to be the first to open or prepare (a way, settlement, etc.).
2. to take part in the beginnings of; initiate:

   to pioneer an aid program.

3. to lead the way for (a group); trailblaze.

adjective

1. being the earliest, original, first of a particular kind, etc.:

   a pioneer method of adult education.

2. of, relating to, or characteristic of pioneers:

   pioneer justice.

3. being a pioneer:

   a pioneer fur trader.

Pioneer

¹

/ ˌpaɪəˈnɪə /

noun

1. any of a series of US spacecraft that studied the solar system, esp Pioneer 10, which made the first flyby of Jupiter (1973), and Pioneer 11, which made the first flyby of Saturn (1979)

Pioneer

²

/ ˌpaɪəˈnɪə /

noun

1. a total abstainer from alcoholic drink, esp a member of the Pioneer Total Abstinence Association, a society devoted to abstention

pioneer

³

/ ˌpaɪəˈnɪə /

noun

1. 1. a colonist, explorer, or settler of a new land, region, etc
   2. ( as modifier )

      a pioneer wagon

2. an innovator or developer of something new
3. military a member of an infantry group that digs entrenchments, makes roads, etc
4. ecology the first species of plant or animal to colonize an area of bare ground

verb

1. to be a pioneer (in or of)
2. tr to initiate, prepare, or open up

   to pioneer a medical programme

Word History and Origins

Origin of pioneer¹

First recorded in 1515–25; from Middle French pionier, Old French peonier “foot soldier”; peon ¹, -eer

Word History and Origins

Origin of pioneer¹

C16: from Old French paonier infantryman, from paon pawn ²; see also peon ¹

Example Sentences

The pioneering method opens new possibilities for controlling drug resistance and improving patient survival.

From Science Daily

But “Joy,” a biographical treatment of Jean Purdy, one of the pioneers of the science, while certainly waving the flag for the procedure, is primarily concerned with the human story behind the creation of I.V.F.

From New York Times

“The significant thing about Java,” Sahar said, “is Java came long before the ballroom was created, long before the Stonewall riots in New York, and so she was really a pioneer.”

From Los Angeles Times

Now, a multidisciplinary team of Michigan State University researchers, in collaboration with experts from Karolinska Institute and the University of California, Berkeley, has pioneered a way to do just that.

From Science Daily

The team's pioneering approach also integrates broadband, high-frequency modulation of the OPO output, which allows the enhancement of the signal-to-noise ratio, providing even greater detection precision.

From Science Daily