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

All the enlightened reformers in Europe were desperately trying to eliminate the peasant peculiarities and plebeian dialects that divided the peoples of their nations.

From The Wall Street Journal

“Twitter’s current lords & peasants system for who has or doesn’t have a blue check mark is b------t,” he wrote.

From Washington Post

For one thing, it tracks: Every society has its rulers, whether they’re overprivileged nobles or First Families of Virginia — both groups expecting the peasants to bow and scrape before their money and power.

From Los Angeles Times

The group's goal is to teach and promote the cuisine, while also "vindicating the role of peasant women," They offer cooking classes at the kitchen, located an hour and a half outside of Guadalajara.

From Salon

“You don’t need land, good weather, peasant labor, processing of crops, etc. Instead, you can whip it up in a small lab, and every gram is 50 times as strong as heroin.”

From Washington Times