pilgrim

[ pil-grim, -gruhm ]

See synonyms for pilgrim on Thesaurus.com

noun

a person who journeys, especially a long distance, to some sacred place as an act of religious devotion: pilgrims to the Holy Land.
a traveler or wanderer, especially in a foreign place.

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

Origin of pilgrim

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

Other words from pilgrim

pil·gri·mat·ic, pil·gri·mat·i·cal, adjective

Words Nearby pilgrim

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use pilgrim in a sentence

Not everyone is happy to let the pope play the humble pilgrim.
The Pope’s Middle East Game of Shrines | Candida Moss | May 25, 2014 | THE DAILY BEAST
It is home to Papa pilgrim, a literal-minded, self-fashioned prophet; his wife, Country Rose; and their 15 dutiful children.
This Week’s Hot Reads, July 15, 2013 | Sarah Stodola, Jen Vafidis, Damaris Colhoun | July 15, 2013 | THE DAILY BEAST
Most were originally drove roads, paths to market, or pilgrim paths.
The Unfindable Place: Robert Macfarlane’s Holloway | Edward Platt | June 26, 2013 | THE DAILY BEAST
Pictured above is the sculpture titled Hopeful Had Much Ado from pilgrim's Progress.
The Future of Print! | William O’Connor | June 4, 2013 | THE DAILY BEAST
The tip of the one of the spires at the National Cathedral fell onto the steps of pilgrim Road.
Earthquake Hits the East Coast! | | August 23, 2011 | THE DAILY BEAST

Naw, I sold my outfit to a goggle-eyed pilgrim that has an idea buffalo hides is prime all summer.
Raw Gold | Bertrand W. Sinclair
There is a charm in Defoe's works that one hardly finds, excepting in the pilgrim's Progress.
Journal of a Voyage to Brazil | Maria Graham
We can get a pretty good idea of the reasons which led the pilgrim Fathers to brave everything to get away from their home land.
British Highways And Byways From A Motor Car | Thomas D. Murphy
Every pilgrim would consider his pilgrimage of no account if he did not step in here immediately on his arrival.
A Woman's Journey Round the World | Ida Pfeiffer
The older nuns had turned from their tasks and paused, in passing by, to hear the pilgrim's story.
The First Christmas Tree | Henry Van Dyke

British Dictionary definitions for pilgrim (1 of 2)

pilgrim

/ (ˈpɪlɡrɪm) /

noun

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

Origin of pilgrim

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

British Dictionary definitions for Pilgrim (2 of 2)

Pilgrim

/ (ˈpɪlɡrɪm) /

noun

See Canterbury Pilgrims (def. 2)

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

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