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- Dictionarype·on/ˈpēˌän/
noun
- 1. a Spanish American day laborer or unskilled farm worker.
- 2. (in South and Southeast Asia) a low-ranking worker such as an attendant, orderly, or assistant: "the elder son is a peon at a nearby school"
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Learn the origin, synonyms, and examples of the word peon, which can mean a soldier, a servant, a laborer, or a slave. See how peon is used in different contexts and regions, such as India, Latin America, and the US.
PEON definition: 1. a farm worker in South America who does jobs that do not need any particular skill 2. a person…. Learn more.
Today, peon is used more generally to refer to poor people or those who perform menial labor—work that is often considered lowly and degrading. The word peon often implies that such a person receives poor treatment or is being exploited.
Peon was a Mexican word originally, meaning an agricultural worker in servitude to his landlord. Today, peon has a more comic ring to it and is usually used in fun — though if you are a personal assistant to a tyrannical Hollywood star, for example, it's probably no laughing matter.
Learn the meaning of peon as a worker on a farm in Latin America or a person with a hard or boring job. See examples, synonyms, word origin and usage notes.
A peon is a person of low social status, especially one who does menial or tedious work. The word comes from Spanish peón, meaning foot soldier, and has different meanings in different regions and contexts.
A peon is a person who does menial or repetitive tasks and has a low rank in an organization or society. The term can also refer to an unskilled laborer or farm worker of Latin America, a debtor compelled to work off his debts, or a foot soldier in South and Southeast Asia.
