peasant

American  

[pez-uhnt] / ˈpɛz ənt /

noun

1. a member of a class of persons, as in Europe, Asia, and Latin America, who are small farmers or farm laborers of low social rank.

2. a coarse, unsophisticated, boorish, uneducated person of little financial means.

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adjective

1. of, relating to, or characteristic of peasants or their traditions, way of life, crafts, etc.

2. of or designating a style of clothing modeled on the folk costumes of Western cultures, especially women's full-sleeved, round-necked blouses and long, full skirts.

peasant British  

/ ˈpɛzənt /

noun

1. 1. a member of a class of low social status that depends on either cottage industry or agricultural labour as a means of subsistence

   2. ( as modifier )

      peasant dress

2. informal a person who lives in the country; rustic

3. informal an uncouth or uncultured person

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peasant Cultural  

1. A farmer or agricultural worker of low status. The word is applied chiefly to agricultural workers in Asia, Europe, and South America, who generally adhere to traditional agricultural practices and have little social mobility or freedom.

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Other Word Forms

• peasantlike adjective

Etymology

Origin of peasant

1375–1425; late Middle English paissaunt < Anglo-French paisant, Old French païsant, earlier païsenc, equivalent to païs country (< Late Latin pāgēnsis, equivalent to Latin pāg ( us ) country district + -ēnsis -ensis ) + -enc < Germanic ( -ing ³ )

Example Sentences

“And then,” said Mal, “at every death, the Immortal is born again. They can be born into any family—peasant, politician, prince, goatherd, warrior. They’re the Immortal soul, in a human body.”

From Literature

A teenager draws his slingshot, while fighters holding prayer beads take control of a Soviet tank, and peasants clutching pitchforks face Soviet soldiers.

From Barron's

The tighter scope and folksy approach — from a score with more spare acoustic guitar than sweeping orchestral numbers and an abundance of drab peasant rags over plush regal garb — is refreshing, at first.

From Los Angeles Times

Back then, China was a secretive and still largely peasant society.

From The Wall Street Journal

In long, meandering speeches laced with peasant folklore, Museveni often appeals for more time, likening himself to a farmer leaving a plantation just as it starts bearing fruit.

From Barron's