pioneer

Etymology

From Middle French pionnier (“originally, a foot soldier”), Old French peonier, from peon (“a foot soldier”) (modern French: pion). See pawn in chess.

noun

1. One who goes before, as into the wilderness, preparing the way for others to follow.
2. A person or other entity who is first or among the earliest in any field of inquiry, enterprise, or progress.
   As towns continue to grow, replanting vegetation has become a form of urban utopia and green roofs are spreading fast. Last year 1m square metres of plant-covered roofing was built in France, as much as in the US, and 10 times more than in Germany, the pioneer in this field. 2013-05-10, Audrey Garric, “Urban canopies let nature bloom”, in The Guardian Weekly, volume 188, number 22, page 30
   Some people will consider their national heroes to be pioneers of civilization.
   Certain politicians can be considered as pioneers of reform.
3. (obsolete, military) A soldier detailed or employed to form roads, dig trenches, and make bridges, as an army advances; a sapper.
4. A member of any of several European organizations advocating abstinence from alcohol.
5. (communism) A member of a children’s organization operated by the Communist Party, typically in the second of three stages toward becoming an member of the Party itself.
6. (Singapore) Alternative letter-case form of Pioneer (“A Singaporean born on or before 31 December 1949, who is entitled to various healthcare and social support schemes.”)
   Perhaps the pioneer generation, having experienced unity in solidarity, will show the rest of Singapore the way. 12 February 2014, Theresa Goh, “Let’s reward all our pioneers equally”, in Today, Singapore: Mediacorp Press, →OCLC, page 20
   A fenceless open-air museum […] that captures the spirit and struggles of Singapore's pioneer generation. 14 March 2017, Kelly Ng, “New showcase to seek views on Founders’ Memorial”, in Today, Singapore: Mediacorp Press, →OCLC, page 11

verb

1. (transitive) To be the first to do or achieve (something), preparing the way for others to follow.
   The young doctor pioneered a new life-saving surgical technique.