Meeple

Part of speech: noun

Pronunciation: /ˈmiːpəl/

Definitions

1. A small figurine or game piece used in board games to represent a player or character on the playing surface
2. A token or player marker commonly found in tabletop games, utilized to signify a participant or character within the game environment
3. A miniature figure used in various board games to denote an individual's presence or role during gameplay

Etymology: Meeple is a blend of "my" and "people", coined in November 2000 by Alison Hansel during a game of Carcassonne on the South Shore of Massachusetts. The game's wooden figures were the pieces players claimed territory with, and Hansel wanted a name that made each one feel like a personal stake in the board. The word spread through the board game community's own record-keeping. A session report from 25 November 2000, posted on Dave Bernazzani's "Dave's Place!" website, recorded the coinage, and a later post on the same site, "South Shore Gamers", kept it in circulation among local players. The term was a small, self-made piece of gamers' slang that outgrew its origin.