Pioneer

Pronunciation

• IPA: /ËŒpaɪəˈnɪəɹ/
• Rhymes: -ɪə(ɹ)

Origin

From Middle French pionier ("originally, a foot soldier"), Old French peonier, from peon ("a foot soldier") (modern French: pion). See pawn in chess.

Full definition of pioneer

Noun

1. One who goes before, as into the wilderness, preparing the way for others to follow.
2. A person or other entity who is first or among the earliest in any field of inquiry, enterprise, or progress.
• 2013-05-10, Audrey Garric, Urban canopies let nature bloom, As towns continue to grow, replanting vegetation has become a form of urban utopia and green roofs are spreading fast. Last year 1m square metres of plant-covered roofing was built in France, as much as in the US, and 10 times more than in Germany, the pioneer in this field.
3. Some people will consider their national heroes to be pioneers of civilization.Certain politicians can be considered as pioneers of reform.
4. (obsolete, military)   A soldier detailed or employed to form roads, dig trenches, and make bridges, as an army advances; a sapper.
5. A member of any of several European organizations advocating abstinence from alcohol.
6. (Communism)   A child of 10–16 years in the former Soviet Union, in the second of the three stages in becoming a member of the Communist Party.

Derived terms

• pioneer axon
• Pioneer Day

Verb

1. To go before and prepare or open a way for; to act as pioneer.

Synonyms

• push the envelope
• break new ground