What does pioneer mean?
Word: Pioneer
Part of Speech: Noun
Meaning: Pioneer means one of the first people to do something new, or to go to a new place, showing the way for others.
Synonyms: trailblazer, founder
Antonyms: follower
How do you spell pioneer?
Syllables: pi - o - neer
Tricky part: The last part is eer, as in engineer. Pionear and pioner are the usual wrong turns.
Watch out for: pionear, pioner, pionier
Memory tip: Picture two explorers setting out side by side: that is the double e near the end of pioneer.
Pioneer in a sentence
Example 1: Marie Curie was a pioneer in the study of radioactivity.
Example 2: The pioneers built the first houses in the valley.
Example 3: Our school was a pioneer in teaching coding to young children.
Fun Fact
Pioneer first meant a worker who went ahead of a group on foot to clear the road. It comes from an Old French word built on the word for foot.
Practise the CREST Way
Word Connection
Choose the synonym of the word: pioneer
a) neighbour
b) passenger
c) visitor
d) pathfinder
Show answer
d) pathfinder. A pathfinder finds a new way for others to follow, as a pioneer does.
Word Cookie
Find the extra letter in the word:
pionneer
a) o
b) i
c) n
d) e
Show answer
c) n. Pioneer has a single n, between the o and the double e.
Mingle-Mangle
Form a meaningful word from the jumbled letters:
npoiere
a) pointer
b) opener
c) pioneer
d) peony
Show answer
c) pioneer. Opener is a letter short, pointer needs a t and peony a y, so the seven letters make pioneer.
Word Cookie
Find the misspelt word in the sentence:
Verghese Kurien was a pioneer who helped thousands of dairy farmers in Gujarat earn a beter living.
a) dairy
b) pioneer
c) thousands
d) beter
Show answer
d) beter. Better has a double t, as in letter and butter.
Multiple Choice Questions
1. Who of these would best be called a pioneer?
a) the hundredth team on an old route
b) a guide who leads tourists on trails
c) a reporter who writes about climbers
d) the first team to climb a new route
Show answer
d) the first team to climb a new route
2. Pioneers who settle a new land usually have to ____.
a) travel on old roads
b) follow maps made by others
c) build everything from the start
d) buy houses that are ready
Show answer
c) build everything from the start
