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peon

 - 5 dictionary results

pe⋅on

1  [pee-uhn, pee-on]
Use peon in a Sentence
–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 pedōnēs infantry, OF peon pawn 2 ), deriv. of L ped- (s. of pēs) foot

pe⋅on

2  [pee-uhn, pee-on]
–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 peon 1
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.
Cite This Source Link To peon
pe·on   (pē'ŏn', pē'ən)   
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.

  2. A menial worker; a drudge.

  3. 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.]
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2009 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
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Word Origin & History

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."
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2001 Douglas Harper
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Computing Dictionary

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)

The Free On-line Dictionary of Computing, © 1993-2007 Denis Howe
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