Pioneer
WordNet
noun
(1) One the first colonists or settler in a new territory
"They went west as pioneers with only the possessions they could carry with them"
(2) Someone who helps to open up a new line of research or technology or art
verb
(3) Open up and explore a new area
"Pioneer space"
(4) Take the lead or initiative in; participate in the development of
"This South African surgeon pioneered heart transplants"
(5) Open up an area or prepare a way
"She pioneered a graduate program for women students"
WiktionaryText
Etymology
From , , from (modern French: ). See pawn in chess.
Noun
- One who goes before, as into the wilderness, preparing the way for others to follow
- pioneers of civilization; pioneers of reform
- A soldier detailed or employed to form roads, dig trenches, and make bridges, as an army advances.
- A member of any of several European organizations advocating abstinence from alcohol.
- A child of 10–16 years in the former Soviet Union, in the second of the three stages in becoming a member of the Communist Party.