peasant

[ pez-uhnt ]
See synonyms for: peasantpeasants on Thesaurus.com

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.

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.

Origin of peasant

1
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 (see -ing3)

Other words from peasant

  • peas·ant·like, adjective

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use peasant in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for peasant

peasant

/ (ˈpɛzənt) /


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

    • (as modifier): peasant dress

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

  1. informal an uncouth or uncultured person

Origin of peasant

1
C15: from Anglo-French, from Old French païsant, from païs country, from Latin pāgus rural area; see pagan

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Cultural definitions for peasant

peasant

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.

The New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy, Third Edition Copyright © 2005 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.