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peon

noun pe·on \ˈpē-ˌän, -ən also pā-ˈōn for 2, British also ˈpyün for 1\

: a person who does hard or boring work for very little money : a person who is not very important in a society or organization

: a poor farm worker especially in Latin America

plural peons or pe·o·nes \pā-ˈō-nēz\

Full Definition of PEON

: any of various workers in India, Sri Lanka, or Malaysia: as

a : infantryman

b : orderly

[Spanish peón, from Latin pedon-, pedo] : a member of the landless laboring class in Spanish America

plural peons

a : a person held in compulsory servitude to a master for the working out of an indebtedness

b : drudge, menial

See peon defined for English-language learners

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Origin of PEON

Portuguese peão & French pion, from Medieval Latin pedon-, pedo foot soldier — more at pawn

First Known Use: 1609

Related to PEON

Synonyms: dogsbody [chiefly British], drone, drudge, drudger, fag, foot soldier, grub, grubber, grunt, laborer, slave, plugger, slavey, slogger, toiler, worker

Other Sociology Terms

bourgeois, ethos, eugenics, exurb, incommunicado, intelligentsia, megalopolis, metrosexual, mores, subculture

Rhymes with PEON

aeon, paean, paeon, zein

PEON Defined for Kids

peon

noun pe·on \ˈpē-ˌän\

Definition of PEON for Kids

: a person who does hard or dull work for very little money

Learn More About PEON

Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for "peon"

Spanish Central: Spanish translation of "peon"

Nglish: Translation of "peon" for Spanish speakers

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