pioneer

pi|o|neer¹ [ˌpaıəˈnıə US -ˈnır] n

[Date: 1500-1600; : Old French; Origin: peonier 'soldier', from peon, from Medieval Latin pedo; PAWN¹]

1.) someone who is important in the early development of something, and whose work or ideas are later developed by other people

pioneer of

▪ John Whitney was a pioneer of computer animation.

▪ He was a pioneer in the field of biotechnology.

2.) one of the first people to travel to a new country or area and begin living there, farming etc

▪ the early pioneers of the Dakota territory

pioneer ²

pioneer² v [T]

to be the first person to do, invent or use something

▪ The new cancer treatment was pioneered in the early eighties by Dr Sylvia Bannerjee.