# pioneer

Pronunciation: say "py-uh-NEER" US /ˌpaɪ.əˈnɪɹ/, UK /ˌpaɪ.əˈnɪə(ɹ)/

## Noun

1. A person, group, or organization that leads the way as the first, or one of the first, to explore a new area of research, business, or development.
   - Simple: Someone who is first or among the first to explore or work in a new field.
   - _Marie Curie is celebrated as a pioneer of radioactivity research._
   - _These researchers were pioneers in mapping the human genome._
3. A person who goes ahead into unsettled territory, such as wilderness, preparing the way for others to follow.
   - Simple: Someone who travels into new or wild land ahead of others, making it ready for them.
   - _Pioneers pushed westward, building cabins and clearing fields along the way._
   - _He was hailed as a pioneer of the frontier settlements._
4. A soldier assigned to build roads, dig trenches, and construct bridges as an army advances; a sapper.
   - Simple: A soldier who builds roads, digs trenches, and makes bridges as an army moves forward.
   - _Regiments of pioneers went ahead to bridge the river before the cavalry arrived._
   - _The army relied on every pioneer to prepare the ground for the advance._
5. A member of any of several European organizations whose members pledge to abstain from alcohol.
   - Simple: A member of a European group whose members promise not to drink alcohol.
   - _Her uncle became a pioneer after taking the temperance pledge as a young man._
   - _The local pioneers gathered each month to renew their commitment to abstinence._
6. A member of a children's organization run by the Communist Party, typically the second of three stages on the way to Party membership.
   - Simple: A child member of a Communist youth group, usually a step before joining the Party.
   - _Every schoolchild aspired to become a pioneer and wear the red kerchief._
   - _The pioneers spent their summers at camps organized by the Party._
7. Alternative letter-case form of Pioneer. *(Singapore)*
   - Simple: Alternative letter-case form of Pioneer. It means an older long-time Singaporean who gets special health and social help.
   - _Each pioneer qualifies for subsidized healthcare under the national scheme._
   - _Singapore's pioneers were celebrated for their role in the country's early development._

## Verb

2. To do or accomplish something before anyone else has, clearing a path that others can follow.
   - Simple: To be the first to do or make something new, so that others can follow.
   - _Her lab pioneered techniques that transformed cancer treatment._
   - _Engineers continue to pioneer methods for capturing carbon from the air._

## Origin

From Middle French 'pionnier', originally meaning a foot soldier, from Old French 'peonier', from 'peon' (a foot soldier; modern French 'pion'). It is related to 'pawn' in chess.

Source: DictionaryAI, https://dictionaryai.com/define/pioneer (written from Wiktionary data, CC BY-SA 4.0: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/).