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Definition of "pathfinder" [path•find•er]

  • One that discovers a new course or way, especially through or into unexplored regions. (noun)
  • One of a group of paratroopers who land ahead of a main force in order to mark the drop zone. (noun)

American Heritage(R) Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright (c) 2011 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

Use "pathfinder" in a sentence
  • "A pathfinder is my mistress, one hard to keep and unbridled—"
  • "(The jackal, or 'pathfinder' -- whose tracks sometimes lead to the remains of a food-animal slain by a lion, and many birds and insects, have a value of this kind.) "The use of animal totems for purposes of augury is, in all likelihood, of great antiquity."
  • "Cameron's decision to hail the success of a "pathfinder" pilot scheme to hand commissioning powers to GP consortia will come as a relief to Andrew Lansley, the health secretary, who has faced intense criticism from within and outside government over his plans to abolish primary care trusts."
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