pawn
pawn — noun
- pawnsingular
- pawnsplural
1. the smallest and weakest chess piece; a player begins with eight of them, and ea
the smallest and weakest chess piece; a player begins with eight of them, and each pawn advances one square forward per move
Theo pushed a centre pawn forward to start the match against his older brother.
chess: centre pawn opening move
Yuna smiled when her pawn reached the eighth rank and turned into a queen.
pawn promotion: reaching the eighth rank
Arjun lost a pawn early but gained a stronger middle-game position.
Fatima explained that a pawn captures one square diagonally, never straight ahead.
Ingrid had only a king and two pawns left against her opponent's rook.
用法筆記
The pawn is the only chess piece that cannot move backwards. Upon reaching the opponent's back rank, it can be promoted to any piece except the king.
2. a person with no real authority who is manipulated by others to serve their goal
a person with no real authority who is manipulated by others to serve their goals
Ingrid felt like a pawn when her manager used her ideas to land a promotion.
figurative: feel like a pawn
The island nation became a pawn in the trade war between two larger powers.
figurative: pawn in a conflict
Siti had been a pawn in the chairman's scheme to sell the company.
Amara refused to be a pawn any longer and quit the committee that afternoon.
The shopkeepers felt like pawns when the council pushed through the new road.
用法筆記
Frequently used in political or business writing to describe someone who appears to have a role but lacks real influence.
常見錯誤
3. an object deposited with a pawnbroker as security for borrowed money, which the
an object deposited with a pawnbroker as security for borrowed money, which the broker may sell if the loan is not repaid
Noam left his grandfather's gold watch as a pawn at the shop on Mill Road.
as a pawn = as security for a loan
Clara's wedding ring had been in pawn for three months and she feared losing it.
in pawn
Chidi had to leave his guitar in pawn at a shop near the railway station.
Kehinde recognised her mother's gold locket among the pawns in the broker's display case.
Mateo's father finally reclaimed the family tools that had sat in pawn for a year.
- pledge
broader and more formal; can refer to any security for a loan, not only at a pawnbroker's
- collateral
specifically property pledged against a bank loan, not typically used for pawnbroker items
- security
formal financial term for an asset guaranteeing any loan
用法筆記
The act of leaving an item with a pawnbroker is normally expressed with the gerund 'pawning' or the verb 'pawn,' not the noun 'pawn.' The phrase 'in pawn' describes an item currently held by a pawnbroker.
pawn — verb
- pawnpresent simple I / you / we / they
- pawns3rd person singular
- pawning-ing form
- pawnedpast simple
1. to hand over something you own to a pawnbroker in return for a loan; the broker
to hand over something you own to a pawnbroker in return for a loan; the broker keeps the item until you pay back the money plus interest
Theo pawned his saxophone at a shop on Canal Street to cover the garage bill.
pawn + [item] at [place]
Yuna pawned her gold bracelet near the station and hoped to reclaim it soon.
When the factory shut, dozens of workers pawned their tools just to buy groceries.
Arjun pawned his laptop on Monday morning and got it back with his Friday wages.
Clara had pawned nearly everything she owned by the time her first pay cheque arrived.
- redeem
to get your item back from the pawnbroker by repaying the loan
文法句型
pawn + something
用法筆記
Distinguish from 'sell': when you pawn something, you can get it back by repaying the loan plus interest. The subject is typically a person who needs cash quickly.