Origin of pioneer

1515–25; < Middle French pionier, Old French peonier foot soldier. See peon1, -eer

OTHER WORDS FROM pioneer

un·pi·o·neer·ing, adjective

Words nearby pioneer

pinza, pinzón, pio, piolet, pion, pioneer, pioneer day, pioneers, the, piopio, piosity, pious

Words related to pioneer

prime, head, brave, lead, initial, primary, inaugural, avant-garde, original, pilgrim, founder, settler, colonist, immigrant, scout, explorer, guide, developer, squatter, leader

Example sentences from the Web for pioneer

British Dictionary definitions for pioneer (1 of 3)

pioneer
/ (ˌpaɪəˈnɪə) /

noun

  1. a colonist, explorer, or settler of a new land, region, etc
  2. (as modifier)a pioneer wagon
an innovator or developer of something new
military a member of an infantry group that digs entrenchments, makes roads, etc
ecology the first species of plant or animal to colonize an area of bare ground

verb

to be a pioneer (in or of)
(tr) to initiate, prepare, or open up to pioneer a medical programme

Word Origin for pioneer

C16: from Old French paonier infantryman, from paon pawn ²; see also peon 1

British Dictionary definitions for pioneer (2 of 3)

Pioneer 1
/ (ˌpaɪəˈnɪə) /

noun

a total abstainer from alcoholic drink, esp a member of the Pioneer Total Abstinence Association, a society devoted to abstention

British Dictionary definitions for pioneer (3 of 3)

Pioneer 2
/ (ˌpaɪəˈnɪə) /

noun

any of a series of US spacecraft that studied the solar system, esp Pioneer 10, which made the first flyby of Jupiter (1973), and Pioneer 11, which made the first flyby of Saturn (1979)