peon - Definitions from Dictionary.com

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Dictionary.com Unabridged (v 1.1) - Cite This Source - Share This

pe·on1

Audio Help [pee-uh

n, pee-on] Pronunciation Key

–noun

1.	(in Spanish America) a farm worker or unskilled laborer; day laborer.

2.	(formerly, esp. in Mexico) a person held in servitude to work off debts or other obligations.

3.	any person of low social status, esp. one who does work regarded as menial or unskilled; drudge.

[Origin: 1820–30; < Sp peón peasant, day laborer < VL *pedōn- (s. of *pedō) walker (whence ML pedōnés infantry, OF peon pawn²), deriv. of L ped- (s. of pés) foot

]

Dictionary.com Unabridged (v 1.1)
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2006.

Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.
peon

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pe·on2

Audio Help [pee-uh

n, pee-on] Pronunciation Key

–noun (in India and Sri Lanka)

1.	a messenger, attendant, or orderly.

2.	a foot soldier or police officer.

[Origin: 1600–10; < Pg peão, F pion foot soldier, pedestrian, day laborer. See peon¹

]

Dictionary.com Unabridged (v 1.1)
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2006.

American Heritage Dictionary - Cite This Source - Share This

pe·on Audio Help (pē'ŏn', pē'ən) Pronunciation Key
n.

1. An unskilled laborer or farm worker of Latin America or the southwest United States.
2. Such a worker bound in servitude to a landlord creditor.
A menial worker; a drudge.
also (pyōōn) In India and other parts of South and Southeast Asia, a person of menial position, especially a messenger, servant, or foot soldier.

[Spanish, day laborer, from Medieval Latin pedō, pedōn-, foot soldier; see pioneer. Sense 3, possibly from Portuguese peão, from Medieval Latin pedō.]

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The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
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Online Etymology Dictionary - Cite This Source - Share This
peon

1826, from Mex.Sp. peon "agricultural laborer" (esp. a debtor held in servitude by his creditor), from Sp., "day laborer," also "pedestrian," originally "foot soldier," from M.L. pedonem "foot soldier" (see pawn (2)). The word entered British Eng. earlier (1609) in the sense "native constable, soldier, or messenger in India," via Port. peao "pedestrian, foot soldier, day laborer."

WordNet - Cite This Source - Share This

peon
noun
a laborer who is obliged to do menial work [syn: drudge]

Free On-line Dictionary of Computing - Cite This Source - Share This

peon jargon
A person with no special (root or wheel) privileges on a computer system. "I can't create an account on foovax for you; I'm only a peon there."
[The Jargon File]
(2001-12-23)

Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary - Cite This Source - Share This

Peon

Pawn\, n. [OE. paune, poun, OF. peon, poon, F. pion, LL. pedo a foot soldier, fr. L. pes, pedis, foot. See Foot, and cf. Pioneer, Peon.] (Chess) A man or piece of the lowest rank.

Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary - Cite This Source - Share This

Peon

Pe"on\, n. See Poon.

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