PAWN

Pronunciation (US):

(GB):

IPA (US):

 Dictionary entry overview: What does pawn mean? 

• PAWN (noun)
  The noun PAWN has 4 senses:

1. an article deposited as security

2. a person used by another to gain an end

3. (chess) the least powerful piece; moves only forward and captures only to the side; it can be promoted to a more powerful piece if it reaches the 8th rank

4. borrowing and leaving an article as security for repayment of the loan

  Familiarity information: PAWN used as a noun is uncommon.

• PAWN (verb)
  The verb PAWN has 1 sense:

1. leave as a guarantee in return for money

  Familiarity information: PAWN used as a verb is very rare.

 Dictionary entry details 

• PAWN (noun)

Sense 1

Meaning:

An article deposited as security

Classified under:

Nouns denoting possession and transfer of possession

Hypernyms ("pawn" is a kind of...):

pledge (a deposit of personal property as security for a debt)

Derivation:

pawn (leave as a guarantee in return for money)

Sense 2

Meaning:

A person used by another to gain an end

Classified under:

Nouns denoting people

Synonyms:

cat's-paw; instrument; pawn

Hypernyms ("pawn" is a kind of...):

assistant; help; helper; supporter (a person who contributes to the fulfillment of a need or furtherance of an effort or purpose)

Sense 3

Meaning:

(chess) the least powerful piece; moves only forward and captures only to the side; it can be promoted to a more powerful piece if it reaches the 8th rank

Classified under:

Nouns denoting man-made objects

Hypernyms ("pawn" is a kind of...):

chess piece; chessman (any of 16 white and 16 black pieces used in playing the game of chess)

Domain category:

chess; chess game (a board game for two players who move their 16 pieces according to specific rules; the object is to checkmate the opponent's king)

Sense 4

Meaning:

Borrowing and leaving an article as security for repayment of the loan

Classified under:

Nouns denoting acts or actions

Hypernyms ("pawn" is a kind of...):

borrowing (obtaining funds from a lender)

Derivation:

pawn (leave as a guarantee in return for money)

• PAWN (verb)

Present simple: I / you / we / they pawn    ... he / she / it pawns   
Past simple: pawned   
Past participle: pawned   
-ing form: pawning   

Sense 1

Meaning:

Leave as a guarantee in return for money

Classified under:

Verbs of buying, selling, owning

Synonyms:

hock; pawn; soak

Context example:

pawn your grandfather's gold watch

Hypernyms (to "pawn" is one way to...):

charge; consign (give over to another for care or safekeeping)

Domain category:

commerce; commercialism; mercantilism (transactions (sales and purchases) having the objective of supplying commodities (goods and services))

Sentence frame:

Somebody ----s something

Derivation:

pawn (borrowing and leaving an article as security for repayment of the loan)

pawn (an article deposited as security)

 Context examples 

He had gone hungry two days waiting for the reply, and it was then that he put his wheel back in pawn.

(Martin Eden, by Jack London)

A silver-and-brilliant pendant of old Spanish design had been pawned at Bovington’s, in Westminster Road.

(His Last Bow, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

As to the washerwoman pawning the clothes, and coming in a state of penitent intoxication to apologize, I suppose that might have happened several times to anybody.

(David Copperfield, by Charles Dickens)

I was told that a great court lady, who had several children,—is married to the prime minister, the richest subject in the kingdom, a very graceful person, extremely fond of her, and lives in the finest palace of the island,—went down to Lagado on the pretence of health, there hid herself for several months, till the king sent a warrant to search for her; and she was found in an obscure eating-house all in rags, having pawned her clothes to maintain an old deformed footman, who beat her every day, and in whose company she was taken, much against her will.

(Gulliver's Travels into several remote nations of the world, by Jonathan Swift)

His bicycle and black suit were again in pawn, and the type-writer people were once more worrying about the rent.

(Martin Eden, by Jack London)

He has begun to pawn the jewels.

(His Last Bow, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

Thanksgiving found him with his black suit in pawn and unable to accept the Morses' invitation to dinner.

(Martin Eden, by Jack London)

Thanks to Brissenden, his black suit was out of pawn and he was again eligible for dinner parties.

(Martin Eden, by Jack London)

And I was secretly glad when the markets failed, even if my clothes did go into pawn.

(Martin Eden, by Jack London)

So that her knowledge that Martin was so poor that he had pawned his watch and overcoat did not disturb her.

(Martin Eden, by Jack London)