peon
13
8.5
- noun
- /ˈpiːən/
- Offensive
:
peón
- Despite being just a peon, he dreamed of one day improving his status and working his way up.
- Mexican peons
- peon caste
- peon labor
They were made into debt peons paying off half of the price of their manumission through their work.
- They were made into debt peons paying off half of the price of their manumission through their work.
- He ignored me, you know, I was a peon and I just nose to the grindstone for the next couple of years down there.
Examples
-
The peons are starving!
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Permanent agricultural wage work as a peon is becoming increasingly difficult to find.
Academic text (1997) -
He ignored me, you know, I was a peon and I just nose to the grindstone for the next couple of years down there.
-
What were some of the challenges that you faced going from being a peon to being, well, the key guy when it comes to designing Corsair cases?
-
I want all caballeros and all peons summoned at once.
-
Many peons toil long hours in the fields without recognition for their hard work.
-
As a peon at the company, she was often given the least favorable tasks to complete.
Synonyms
Antonyms
How Important
533
4.5
∞
1.6
346
2.8
∞
1.3
- US
68
1.0
- Offensive
13
8.5
Surface Forms
Etymology
Peon comes from Spanish peón, which first meant a 'foot soldier' or simple day worker and comes from a Latin root for 'foot', the same root you see in pedal and pedestrian. So peon today means a low-status or menial worker who does simple or tiring jobs.