peon

• POS: Noun

CIDE DICTIONARY

peon, n. 

 See Poon.  [1913 Webster]

peon, n. [Sp. peon, or Pg. peo, one who travels on foot, a foot soldier, a pawn in chess. See Pawn in chess.].

•  A foot soldier; a policeman; also, an office attendant; a messenger.  [1913 Webster]
•  A day laborer; a servant; especially, in some of the Spanish American countries, debtor held by his creditor in a form of qualified servitude, to work out a debt.  [1913 Webster]
•  See 2d Pawn.  [1913 Webster]

OXFORD DICTIONARY

peon, n.
1 a a Spanish American day labourer or farm-worker. b a poor or destitute South American.
2 an Indian office messenger, attendant, or orderly.
3 a bullfighter's assistant.
4 hist. a worker held in servitude in the southern US.

Derivative

peonage n.

Etymology

Port. peao & Sp. peon f. med.L pedo -onis walker f. L pes pedis foot: cf. PAWN(1)

THESAURUS

peon

apple-polisher, ass-licker, backscratcher, backslapper, bondmaid, bondman, bondslave, bondsman, bondswoman, bootlick, bootlicker, brown-nose, brownie, captive, chattel, chattel slave, churl, clawback, concubine, countryman, countrywoman, courtier, creature, cringer, debt slave, dependent, dray horse, drudge, dupe, fawner, fellah, feudatory, flatterer, flunky, follower, footlicker, galley slave, groveler, handshaker, hanger-on, helot, hind, homager, inferior, instrument, jackal, kowtower, lackey, led captain, lickspit, lickspittle, liege, liege man, liege subject, mealymouth, minion, muzhik, myrmidon, odalisque, peasant, provincial, puppet, retainer, serf, servant, slave, slavey, spaniel, stooge, subject, subordinate, suck, sycophant, theow, thrall, timeserver, toad, toady, toiler, tool, truckler, tufthunter, underling, understrapper, vassal, villein, workhorse, yeoman, yes-man

ROGET THESAURUS

peon

Combatant

N combatant, disputant, controversialist, polemic, litigant, belligerent, competitor, rival, corrival, fighter, assailant, champion, Paladin, mosstrooper, swashbuckler fire eater, duelist, bully, bludgeon man, rough, prize fighter, pugilist, boxer, bruiser, the fancy, gladiator, athlete, wrestler, fighting-cock, game-cock, warrior, soldier, fighting man, Amazon, man at arms, armigerent, campaigner, veteran, swordsman, sabreur, redcoat, military man, Rajput, armed force, troops, soldiery, military forces, sabaoth, the army, standing army, regulars, the line, troops of the line, militia, yeomanry, volunteers, trainband, fencible, auxiliary, bersagliere, brave, garde-nationale, garde-royale, minuteman, auxiliary forces, reserve forces, reserves, posse comitatus, national guard, gendarme, beefeater, guards, guardsman, yeomen of the guard, life guards, household troops, janissary, myrmidon, Mama, Mameluke, spahee, spahi, Cossack, Croat, Pandoz, irregular, guerilla, partisan, condottiere, franctireur, tirailleur, bashi-bazouk, vietminh, vietcong, shining path, contras, huk, hukbalahap, mercenary, soldier of fortune, hired gun, gunfighter, gunslinger, bushwhacker, free lance, companion, Hessian, hit man torpedo, soldier, levy, draught, Landwehr, Landsturm, conscript, recruit, cadet, raw levies, infantry, infantryman, private, private soldier, foot soldier, Tommy Atkins, rank and file, peon, trooper, sepoy, legionnaire, legionary, cannon fodder, food for powder, officer, subaltern, ensign, standard bearer, spearman, pikeman, spear bearer, halberdier, lancer, musketeer, carabineer, rifleman, jager, sharpshooter, yager, skirmisher, grenadier, fusileer, archer, bowman, horse and foot, horse soldier, cavalry, horse, artillery, horse artillery, light horse, voltigeur, uhlan, mounted rifles, dragoon, hussar, light dragoon, heavy dragoon, heavy, cuirassier, Foot Guards, Horse Guards, gunner, cannoneer, bombardier, artilleryman, matross, sapper, sapper and miner, engineer, light infantry, rifles, chasseur, zouave, military train, coolie, army, corps d'armee, host, division, battalia, column, wing, detachment, garrison, flying column, brigade, regiment, corps, battalion, sotnia, squadron, company, platoon, battery, subdivision, section, squad, piquet, picket, guard, rank, file, legion, phalanx, cohort, cloud of skirmishers, war horse, charger, destrier, marine, man-of-war's man, navy, wooden walls, naval forces, fleet, flotilla, armada, squadron, man-of-war, destroyer, submarine, minesweeper, torpedo-boat, torpedo-destroyer, patrol torpedo boat, PT boat, torpedo- catcher, war castle, H, M, S, battleship, battle wagon, dreadnought, line of battle ship, ship of the line, aircraft carrier, carrier, flattop, helicopter carrier, missile platform, missile boat, ironclad, turret ship, ram, monitor, floating battery, first- rate, frigate, sloop of war, corvette, gunboat, bomb vessel, flagship, guard ship, cruiser, armored cruiser, protected cruiser, privateer, tender, store ship, troop ship, transport, catamaran, merchant marine.