pawn

Pronunciation

• (UK) IPA ^(key): /pɔːn/
• (US) IPA ^(key): /pɔn/
• Homophone: porn (non-rhotic accents)

Noun

Singular pawn

Plural pawns

1. (countable) (chess) A pawn in the game of chess is a piece that can only move forward. Each player will get eight pawns.

Verb

Plain form pawn

Third-person singular pawns

Past tense pawned

Past participle pawned

Present participle pawning

1. (transitive) If you pawn a valuable object, you offer it to a money-lender as security for a loan of money. When money is repaid, plus interest, the object(s) are said to be "redeemed".

   Queen Eleanor pawned the crown jewels of England.