Pwn


Pwn is a leetspeak slang term derived from the verb own, meaning to appropriate or to conquer to gain ownership. The term was created accidentally by the misspelling of "own" in video game design due to the keyboard proximity of "O" and "P." It implies domination or humiliation of a rival, used primarily in the Internet-based video game culture to taunt an opponent who has just been soundly defeated.
In script kiddie jargon, pwn means to compromise or control, specifically another computer, website, gateway device, or application. It is synonymous with one of the definitions of hacking or cracking, including iOS jailbreaking. The Pwnie Awards are awarded by a group of security researchers.
Popularity of the term among teenagers rose in the mid-2000s, with the spread from the Internet written form to use in spoken language.

Pronunciations

Originally, pwn and its variants were pronounced in the same way as the verb own, the tail of the p being "silent". A notable usage of this pronunciation can be seen in the Internet distributed series Pure Pwnage.

In culture

In 2015 Scrabble added pwn to their Official Scrabble Words list.