A Pioneer Was a Soldier With a Spade
A pioneer is someone who is first into new territory or a new field. The word began as the army rank of the men who dug the way ahead.
A pioneer goes first: into new land, a new science, a new art form. The military original was less glamorous. Pioneers were foot soldiers who marched ahead of the army digging trenches, clearing roads and building bridges — the ones who made the way passable for everyone behind.
- Someone who is first in a field. *A pioneer of radio astronomy.*
- An early settler. *Pioneers crossing the plains.*
- A soldier who prepares the way. *Regimental pioneers.*
- To develop something first. *They pioneered the technique.*
Word forms
| Form | Word | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Noun | pioneer | A true pioneer. |
| Plural | pioneers | Early pioneers. |
| Verb | pioneer | Pioneer a method. |
| Adjective | pioneering | Pioneering work. |
| Related | trailblazer | A trailblazer in the field. |
How it is used in a sentence
- She pioneered the use of the technique in Britain.The verb.
- Their pioneering research changed the field.Adjective.
- Pioneer species colonise bare ground first.Ecology borrows the word.
First-comers by name
- Pioneer — first into new territory or work
- Trailblazer — marks the way for others to follow
- Innovator — introduces something new
- Early adopter — takes up a new thing before most
- Pioneer species — the first plants to colonise disturbed ground
From French *pionnier*, a foot soldier, from Old French *peon*, a foot soldier — the same word behind *pawn* in chess and *peon* for a labourer.
Are pioneer and pawn related?
Yes. Both come from a word for a foot soldier, from Latin *pes*, foot.
What are pioneer species?
Plants that colonise bare or disturbed ground first, such as lichens and fireweed, preparing the soil for later species.