pilgrim

[ pil-grim, -gruhm ]

/ ˈpɪl grɪm, -grəm /

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noun

a person who journeys, especially a long distance, to some sacred place as an act of religious devotion: pilgrims to the Holy Land.

a traveler or wanderer, especially in a foreign place.

an original settler in a region.

(initial capital letter) one of the band of Puritans who founded the colony of Plymouth, Mass., in 1620.

a newcomer to a region or place, especially to the western U.S.

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His boss, whom he admires, is waiting to meet with him about the big project.

His boss, who he admires, is waiting to meet with him about the big project.

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Origin of pilgrim

1150–1200; Middle English pilegrim, pelegrim, cognate with Old Frisian pilegrīm,Middle Low German pelegrīm,Old High German piligrīm,Old Norse pīlagrīmr, all <Medieval Latin pelegrīnus, dissimilated variant of Latin peregrīnusperegrine

OTHER WORDS FROM pilgrim

pil·gri·mat·ic, pil·gri·mat·i·cal, adjective

Words nearby pilgrim

pileus, pilewort, pilfer, pilferage, pilgarlic, pilgrim, pilgrimage, Pilgrimage of Grace, pilgrim bottle, Pilgrim Fathers, Pilgrims

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use pilgrim in a sentence

They would have one class in potato burlap sacks and colorful feathers, and then the other class dressed as pilgrims.
What Thanksgiving Means Today to the Native American Tribe That Fed the Pilgrims|Olivia B. Waxman|November 23, 2021|Time
Because while the Wampanoags did help the Pilgrims survive, their support was followed by years of a slow, unfolding genocide of their people and the taking of their land.
This tribe helped the Pilgrims survive for their first Thanksgiving. They still regret it 400 years later.|Dana Hedgpeth|November 4, 2021|Washington Post
Singing at a concert with other fans, chanting prayers surrounded by pilgrims or doing the “wave” during a ballgame — these are all ways of making personal connections.
Large events can be cesspools of germs. Here’s why we ache for them, anyway.|Galadriel Watson|May 13, 2021|Washington Post
Named after what some say is the patron saint of pandemics, the village is drawing day-trippers seeking to snap a photo of its street sign as well as pilgrims who want to pray at the altar of the saint.
This Austrian ski resort is preparing for a snowless future|Denise Hruby|February 18, 2021|Washington Post

Not everyone is happy to let the pope play the humble pilgrim.
The Pope’s Middle East Game of Shrines|Candida Moss|May 25, 2014|DAILY BEAST
It is home to Papa Pilgrim, a literal-minded, self-fashioned prophet; his wife, Country Rose; and their 15 dutiful children.
This Week’s Hot Reads, July 15, 2013|Sarah Stodola, Jen Vafidis, Damaris Colhoun|July 15, 2013|DAILY BEAST
Most were originally drove roads, paths to market, or pilgrim paths.
The Unfindable Place: Robert Macfarlane’s Holloway|Edward Platt|June 26, 2013|DAILY BEAST
Pictured above is the sculpture titled Hopeful Had Much Ado from Pilgrim's Progress.
The Future of Print!|William O’Connor|June 4, 2013|DAILY BEAST
The tip of the one of the spires at the National Cathedral fell onto the steps of Pilgrim Road.
Earthquake Hits the East Coast!||August 23, 2011|DAILY BEAST
Naw, I sold my outfit to a goggle-eyed pilgrim that has an idea buffalo hides is prime all summer.
Raw Gold|Bertrand W. Sinclair
There is a charm in Defoe's works that one hardly finds, excepting in the Pilgrim's Progress.
Journal of a Voyage to Brazil|Maria Graham
We can get a pretty good idea of the reasons which led the Pilgrim Fathers to brave everything to get away from their home land.
British Highways And Byways From A Motor Car|Thomas D. Murphy
Every pilgrim would consider his pilgrimage of no account if he did not step in here immediately on his arrival.
A Woman's Journey Round the World|Ida Pfeiffer
The older nuns had turned from their tasks and paused, in passing by, to hear the pilgrim's story.
The First Christmas Tree|Henry Van Dyke

British Dictionary definitions for pilgrim (1 of 2)

pilgrim

/ (ˈpɪlɡrɪm) /

noun

a person who undertakes a journey to a sacred place as an act of religious devotion

any wayfarer

Word Origin for pilgrim

C12: from Provençal pelegrin, from Latin peregrīnus foreign, from per through + ager field, land; see peregrine

British Dictionary definitions for pilgrim (2 of 2)

Pilgrim

/ (ˈpɪlɡrɪm) /

noun

See Canterbury Pilgrims (def. 2)

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

pilgrim

Origin of pilgrim

OTHER WORDS FROM pilgrim

Words nearby pilgrim

Words related to pilgrim

How to use pilgrim in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for pilgrim (1 of 2)

Word Origin for pilgrim

British Dictionary definitions for pilgrim (2 of 2)