A song of praise associated with ancient Greece or praise expressed for something in a formal manner: On their tour of Greece, Cleo and Chuck attended a ceremony in the amphitheater at which the actors sang a pean to the gods and deities.

When the president of the company retired, several of his colleagues expressed their desire to compose a pean to celebrate his accomplishments.

1. A worker typically indentured to another individual and held in compulsory service to pay off a debt: Jennifer's great grandfather came to the country as a peon to the merchant who had paid his fare on the ship.
2. A landless laborer in South America: The peon hired himself out to the owner of the hacienda in exchange for food and lodging.
3. East Asian workers often associated with the military: The local village elder enlisted as a peon with the military as an orderly.