pion

pawn

noun PYOHN Rare

Also means

monitor, supervisor

Usage Note

Pion in chess means pawn, the weakest piece. In French school culture, un pion (informally un pion or le pion) also refers to a student supervisor (surveillant) employed to oversee pupils — a very French institution. The feminine form une pionne exists but is less common than the masculine.

Examples

"Il a sacrifié un pion pour gagner la partie."

Natural Translation

He sacrificed a pawn to win the game.

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