pawn
1 Americanverb (used with object)
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to deposit as security, as for money borrowed, especially with a pawnbroker.
He raised the money by pawning his watch.
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to pawn one's life.
noun
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the state of being deposited or held as security, especially with or by a pawnbroker.
jewels in pawn.
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something given or deposited as security, as for money borrowed.
- Synonyms:
- pledge
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a person serving as security; hostage.
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the act of pawning.
verb
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to deposit (an article) as security for the repayment of a loan, esp from a pawnbroker
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to stake
to pawn one's honour
noun
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an article deposited as security
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the condition of being so deposited (esp in the phrase in pawn )
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a person or thing that is held as a security, esp a hostage
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the act of pawning
noun
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P. a chessman of the lowest theoretical value, limited to forward moves of one square at a time with the option of two squares on its initial move: it captures with a diagonal move only Compare piece
-
a person, group, etc, manipulated by another
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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pawnsimple
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pawnssimple
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have pawnedperfect
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has pawnedperfect
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am pawningprogressive
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are pawningprogressive
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is pawningprogressive
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have been pawningperfect progressive
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has been pawningperfect progressive
Past
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pawnedsimple
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had pawnedperfect
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was pawningprogressive
-
were pawningprogressive
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had been pawningperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of pawn1
First recorded in 1490–1500; noun from Middle French pan; Old French pan(d), pant, apparently from West Germanic; compare Old Frisian pand, Old Saxon, Middle Dutch pant, German Pfand; verb derivative of the noun
Origin of pawn2
First recorded in 1375–1425; Middle English poun(e), paun, from Anglo-French, equivalent to Middle French poon, variant of paon, earlier pe(h)on “foot soldier,” literally, “walker”; see origin at peon 1
Explanation
To pawn something is to use it as collateral when you're borrowing money. When you pawn a necklace at a pawn shop, you get cash in exchange for it with the understanding that you can buy it back later. The benefit when you pawn something is getting cash immediately. The down side is that you'll have to pay more money — the amount you borrowed, plus interest — to get your item back. If you aren't able to do this, the pawn shop will sell it to someone else. As a noun, a pawn is the smallest, least powerful piece in a game of chess, or a description of a person who's being used or manipulated.
Vocabulary lists containing pawn
Check It Out, Mate: Chess Vocabulary
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They Both Die at the End
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Mockingjay
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
The early pieces that established his reputation were dioramas of local spots around Grangeville, such as a tattoo parlor, a pawn show and a Dairy Queen.
From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 3, 2026
"Magyar will want, as he did during the campaign, not to be caricatured as being a pawn of Brussels; do not expect him to say yes to everything," said an EU diplomat.
From Barron's • Apr. 13, 2026
Blaming China for taking the deal we offered is like blaming the pawn shop for buying your watch.
From MarketWatch • Dec. 19, 2025
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz also insisted Europe was "not a pawn, but a sovereign actor, with its own interests and values."
From BBC • Nov. 26, 2025
“To use the language of chess,” Khrushchev said of these maneuvers, “the Americans had advanced a pawn, so we protected our position by moving a knight.”
From "Fallout: Spies, Superbombs, and the Ultimate Cold War Showdown" by Steve Sheinkin
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
