pwn

Wikipedia

English

Pronunciation

• Audio (US)

  (file)

• (UK):
  • IPA: /əʊn/, SAMPA: @Un or
  • IPA: /pəʊn/, SAMPA: p@Un or
  • IPA: /pəʔˈəʊn/, SAMPA: p@?"@Un or
  • IPA: /pɔːn/, SAMPA: /pO:n/ or
  • IPA: /piˈəʊn/, SAMPA: pi"@Un or
  • IPA: /pwən/, SAMPA: pw@n or
  • enPR: pwə-nʹ, IPA: /pwəʔˈn̩/, SAMPA: pw@?"n
• (US):
  • enPR: ōn, IPA: /oʊn/, SAMPA: oUn or
  • enPR: pōn, IPA: /poʊn/, SAMPA: poUn or
  • enPR: pə-ōnʹ, IPA: /pəʔˈoʊn/, SAMPA: p@?"oUn or
  • enPR: pôn, IPA: /pɔːn/, SAMPA: /pO:n/ or
  • enPR: pē-ōnʹ, IPA: /piˈoʊn/, SAMPA: pi"oUn or
  • enPR: pwə-nʹ, IPA: /pwəʔˈn̩/, SAMPA: pw@?"n

Etymology

own, possibly born out of a typographical error (o being adjacent to p on qwerty keyboards) or the idea that p is "greater" than o because it succeeds it in the alphabet.

Verb

pwn (third-person singular simple present pwns, present participle pwning, simple past and past participle pwned, pwnd, or pwnt)

1. (Internet slang, online gaming, originally leet) To own in the sense of defeat.
2. (Internet slang, online gaming, originally leet) To beat someone or something by a wide margin, usually in relation to a game.

Noun

pwn (uncountable)

1. (Internet, online gaming, slang, originally leet) Triumph, defeat, victory. Often exclaimed after an opponent in a video game is defeated.

Derived terms

• pwnage

Quotations

• 2001, Edward Glamkowski, in alt.games.diablo2 [1]

  Otherwise I use fury as my normal attack. Fury completely pwns!

• 2003, James Grahame, in alt.games.everquest [2]

  When you get to the Temple of Marr, look very closely at the vases at zone-in and see if you can find the picture where Mith Marr "pwns" someone.

• 2004, Bronney Hui, in alt.comp.periphs.videocards.nvidia [3]

  My Trident pwns the Cirrus Logics!

• 2005, Mario & Luigi: Partners in Time

  NOOBZ STILL R NOT PWNED. CONTINUE PWNERSHIP UNTIL ALL NOOBZ R PWNED.