Pathbreaker

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A person who is the first to explore or develop a new area, idea, or method
2. An individual who initiates groundbreaking work or introduces novel approaches
3. Someone who leads the way in creating or establishing something original or new

Etymology: "Pathbreaker" is a plain compound of "path" and "breaker," and its literal sense is almost exactly what it says. A path, in the older sense, is a track trodden or cleared through open or unmapped ground, and a breaker is one who breaks, as in one who forces a way through. Together they describe someone who forces a first track through country where no one has yet walked. The figurative sense grew naturally from that picture. Someone who clears a route through untrodden land is the first person to make it passable for everyone who follows, and English applies the same image to people who open up new fields of study, new techniques, or new ideas. The metaphor carries the sense of effort and risk that the physical image implies: the pathbreaker does the rough work, and others benefit from the cleared way.

Synonyms: trailblazer, pioneer, innovator