pawn

Etymology 1

From Middle English pown, from Anglo-Norman poun, paun, from Late Latin pedōnem (“pedestrian”), derived fom Latin ped- (“foot”). Doublet of peon.

noun

1. (chess) The most numerous chess piece, or a similar piece in a similar game. In chess, each side starts with eight; moves are only forward, and attacks are only diagonally or en passant.
2. (figurative) Someone who is being manipulated or used to some end.
   Though a pawn of the gods, her departure is the precipitating cause of the Trojan War.
   He delivered a broadside to the RMT leadership, saying: "This response to a significantly enhanced offer exposes their true priority - using the British public and NR workers as pawns in a fight with the Government. December 14 2022, Mel Holley, “Network News: Strikes go on as RMT rejects RDG's "detrimental" offer”, in RAIL, number 972, page 9

Etymology 2

From Middle French pan (“pledge, security”), apparently from a Germanic language (compare Middle Dutch pant, Old High German pfant).

noun

1. (uncountable) The state of being held as security for a loan, or as a pledge.
   All our jewellery was in pawn by this stage.
2. An instance of pawning something.
3. (now rare) An item given as security on a loan, or as a pledge.
4. (rare) A pawnshop; pawnbroker.

verb

1. To pledge; to stake or wager.
2. To give as security on a loan of money; especially, to deposit (something) at a pawn shop.
   A certain, and probably an appreciable, proportion of his so-called money at call and short notice would consist of fortnightly advances made to members of the Stock Exchange against pawned stocks and shares. 1904, Henry Warren, The Customer's Guide to Banking, page 7
   But you'd better take your diamond ring, you'd better pawn it, babe. 1965, Bob Dylan, Like a Rolling Stone

Etymology 3

noun

1. Alternative form of paan
   A tray filled with pawns, prepared with the usual ingredients, as lime cuttie (a bitter gum), betel-nut, tobacco, spices, &c. 1832, Meer Hassan Ali, Observations on the Mussulmauns of India
   To our English taste, pawn is very offensive; but the natives of India relish it, and regard it as a necessity. It is much eaten by Mohammedans of both sexes, and by the natives of Bengal. 1892, Chambers's Journal, volume 69, page 320

Etymology 4

noun

1. A gallery.

Etymology 5

verb

1. (video games) Alternative form of pwn