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n. 1. Abbr. P Games A chess piece of lowest value that may move forward one square at a time or two squares in the first move, capture other pieces only on a one-space diagonal forward move, and be promoted to any piece other than a king upon reaching the eighth rank. 2. A person or an entity used to further the purposes of another: an underdeveloped nation that was a pawn in international politics. [Middle English, from Old French pedon, paon, from Medieval Latin pedō, pedōn-, foot soldier, from Late Latin, one who has broad, splayed feet, from Latin pēs, ped-, foot; see ped- in the Appendix of Indo-European roots.] |
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