trailblazer

[treyl-bley-zer]

noun

1. a person who blazes blaze a trail for others to follow through unsettled country or wilderness; pathfinder.

2. a pioneer in any field of endeavor.

   a trailblazer in science.

trailblazer

/ ˈtreɪlˌbleɪzə /

noun

1. a leader or pioneer in a particular field

2. a person who blazes a trail

Other Word Forms

• trailblazing adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of trailblazer¹

First recorded in 1905–10; trail + blaze ² + -er ¹

Example Sentences

These experiments, and other trailblazers in the field, are still far from restoring full capability to patients who have lost the ability to talk or walk.

Read more on Barron's

Being useful is clearly a driver for Patti Smith - a poet, writer, artist, activist and trailblazer whose anthemic rock song, People Have the Power, is a call to stand up for what you believe in.

Read more on BBC

She has publicly spoken many times about the importance of being a "trailblazer" and role model.

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Copeland’s ascent is remarkable not only for her technical brilliance but also for her role as a trailblazer for women of color in ballet.

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But D'Angelo, who has died at the age of 51, was seen as a trailblazer, thanks in large part to his groundbreaking debut album Brown Sugar, released in July 1995.

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Related Words

• wanderer