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“peon”
pean, paean; peon
pean, paean (PEE uhn) (noun)
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.
peon (PEE ahn", PEE uhn) (noun)
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.
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.
The peon, who was hired by Jean's uncle for the summer, recited a pean to the gods who oversaw the harvests.
This entry is located in the following unit:
Confusing Words Clarified: Group P; Homonyms, Homophones, Homographs, Synonyms, Polysemes, etc. +
(page 3)
peon
Someone who does boring menial tasks; a laborer who is obliged to do menial work.
From early 17th century via Spanish peón, Portuguese peão, "foot soldier" from medieval Latin pedon- which is from Latin ped-, "foot".
This entry is located in the following unit:
ped-, pedi-, -pedal, -ped, -pede, -pedia
(page 8)