PAWN • FREE TRANSLATOR.ORG • Definition of Pawn

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/pɔn/ Listen

noun

Pawn n. See Pan, the masticatory.

Pawn n. (Chess) A man or piece of the lowest rank.

Pawn n.

1.

Anything delivered or deposited as security, as for the payment of money borrowed, or of a debt; a pledge. See Pledge, n., 1. "As for mortgaging or pawning,... men will not take pawns without use (i. e., interest)."

2.

State of being pledged; a pledge for the fulfillment of a promise. (R.) "Redeem from broking pawn the blemish'd crown." "As the morning dew is a pawn of the evening fatness."

3.

A stake hazarded in a wager. (Poetic) "My life I never held but as a pawn To wage against thy enemies."

In pawn, At pawn, in the state of being pledged. "Sweet wife, my honor is at pawn."

Pawn shop, a shop where a pawnbroker does business.

Pawn ticket, a receipt given by the pawnbroker for an article pledged.

verb

Pawn v. t. (past & past part. pawned; pres. part. pawning)

1.

To give or deposit in pledge, or as security for the payment of money borrowed; to put in pawn; to pledge; as, to pawn one's watch.

Synonyms: hock (colloq). "And pawned the last remaining piece of plate."

2.

To pledge for the fulfillment of a promise; to stake; to risk; to wager; to hazard. "Pawning his honor to obtain his lust."

See images of 'Pawn'

Etymology of 'Pawn'

Collaborative International Dictionary of English 0.48

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"Pawn" Quotes from Famous Books

... "Scandalous Jew pawnbroker of an Uncle, wilt thou flatly keep from me my Father's heritage, then, intrusted to thee in his hour of death? Regardless of God and man, and of the last look of a dying Brother? Uncle worse than pawnbroker; for it is a heritage with NO pawn on it, with much the reverse!" thought the Nephew,—and stabbed said Uncle down dead; having gone across with him in the boat; attendants looking on in distraction from the other side of the river. Was called Johannes ...

— History Of Friedrich II. of Prussia, Vol, II. (of XXI.) - Frederick The Great--Of Brandenburg And The Hohenzollerns--928-1417 • Thomas Carlyle

... passionate Lear on pain of death commanded him to desist; but the good Kent was not so to be repelled. He had been ever loyal to Lear, whom he had honoured as a king, loved as a father, followed as a master; and he had never esteemed his life further than as a pawn to wage against his royal master's enemies, nor feared to lose it when Lear's safety was the motive; nor now that Lear was most his own enemy, did this faithful servant of the king forget his old principles, but manfully opposed Lear, to do Lear good; and was unmannerly only because Lear ...

— Tales from Shakespeare • Charles and Mary Lamb

... Nora's," was what flashed through Bat's brain. "This hound of a pawn-broker'll try and put something on her whether it's true or not." His mind seethed with this for a moment, and then came another idea. "But they'll not take her by surprise; I'll get there before ...

— Ashton-Kirk, Criminologist • John T. McIntyre

... Feder discounts perfectly good A number one accounts for them depositors of his when they are a little short, Mawruss, not only could the Kosciusko Bank afford to pay five per cent., Mawruss, but they could also give 6 or 7, and still Sam Feder's wife wouldn't got to pawn none of her diamonds." ...

— Abe and Mawruss - Being Further Adventures of Potash and Perlmutter • Montague Glass

... hath fetched his bands from pawn, And all his best apparel; Brisk Nell hath bought a ruff of lawn With droppings of the barrel; And those that hardly all the year Had bread to eat, or rags to wear, Will have both clothes and dainty fare, And all the ...

— Christmas: Its Origin and Associations - Together with Its Historical Events and Festive Celebrations During Nineteen Centuries • William Francis Dawson

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