• (British) IPA: /pɔːn/
• (America) IPA: /pɔn/
• (cot-caught) IPA: /pɑn/
• (Southern American English) IPA: /pɑɒn/

pawn (plural pawns)

1. (chess) The most common chess piece, or a similar piece in a similar game. In chess each side has eight; moves are only forward, and attacks are only forward diagonally or en passant.
2. (figurative) Someone who is being manipulated or used to some end.

   Though a pawn of the gods, her departure is the precipitating cause of the Trojan War.

• See also Thesaurus:pawn

• French: pion
• German: Bauer
• Italian: pedone, pedina
• Portuguese: peão
• Russian: пе́шка
• Spanish: peón

• French: pion
• German: Schachfigur
• Italian: pedina
• Portuguese: peão
• Russian: пе́шка
• Spanish: peón

pawn

1. (uncountable) The state of being held as security for a loan, or as a pledge.

   All our jewellery was in pawn by this stage.

2. An instance of pawning something.

   • 1595 December 9 (first known performance)​​, William Shakespeare, “The life and death of King Richard the Second”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies: Published According to the True Originall Copies (First Folio), London: Printed by Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, OCLC 606515358 ↗, [Act II, scene i]:

     Redeem from broking pawn the blemish'd crown.

   • As the morning dew is a pawn of the evening fatness, so, O Lord, let this day's comfort be the earnest of to-morrow's.

3. (now rare) An item given as security on a loan, or as a pledge.

   • c. 1603–1606, William Shakespeare, “The Tragedie of King Lear”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies: Published According to the True Originall Copies (First Folio), London: Printed by Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, OCLC 606515358 ↗, [Act I, scene i]:

     My life I never held but as a pawn / To wage against thy enemies.

   • 1624, Democritus Junior [pseudonym; Robert Burton], The Anatomy of Melancholy: […], 2nd edition, Oxford, Oxfordshire: Printed by John Lichfield and James Short, for Henry Cripps, OCLC 54573970 ↗:

     , New York, 2001, p.106:

     Brokers, takers of pawns, biting userers, I will not admit; yet […] I will tolerate some kind of usery.

   • RQ

     As for mortgaging or pawning, […] men will not take pawns without use [i.e. interest].

4. (rare) A pawnshop; pawnbroker.

• French: prêt sur gage
• German: Verpfändung
• Portuguese: penhora
• Spanish: empeño

• French: gage
• German: Pfand

• French: mont-de-piété
• German: Pfandleiher
• Portuguese: topa-tudo, casa de penhores, penhora
• Russian: ломба́рд
• Spanish: casa de empeños

pawn (pawns, present participle pawning; past and past participle pawned)

1. To pledge; to stake or wager.
2. To give as security on a loan of money; especially, to deposit (something) at a pawn shop.
   • 1904, Henry Warren, The Customer's Guide to Banking (page 7)

     A certain, and probably an appreciable, proportion of his so-called money at call and short notice would consist of fortnightly advances made to members of the Stock Exchange against pawned stocks and shares.

   • 1965, Bob Dylan, Like a Rolling Stone

     But you'd better take your diamond ring, you'd better pawn it, babe.

• (to deposit at a pawn shop) hock

• French: engager, mettre au clou (colloquial), mettre en gage
• German: verpfänden
• Portuguese: penhorar, empenhar
• Russian: закла́дывать
• Spanish: empeñar, pignorar

pawn

1. Alternative form of paan
   • 1892, Chambers's Journal (volume 69, page 320)

     To our English taste, pawn is very offensive; but the natives of India relish it, and regard it as a necessity. It is much eaten by Mohammedans of both sexes, and by the natives of Bengal.

pawn (plural pawns)

1. A gallery.

pawn (pawns, present participle pawning; past and past participle pawned)

1. (video games) Alternative form of pwn