trailblazer

[treyl-bley-zer] /ˈtreɪlˌbleɪ zər/
noun
1.
a person who blazes a trail for others to follow through unsettled country or wilderness; pathfinder.
2.
a pioneer in any field of endeavor:
a trailblazer in science.
Also called trailbreaker
[treyl-brey-ker] /ˈtreɪlˌbreɪ kər/ (Show IPA).
Origin
1905-10; trail + blaze2 + -er1
Examples from the web for trailblazer
  • The other trailblazer is the railroad, which claims the house and the head of anyone in its path.
  • trailblazer is currently in the process of identifying the claims that were affected.
  • The top portion of each application briefly describes the activities of a trailblazer or camp volunteer.
British Dictionary definitions for trailblazer

trailblazer

/ˈtreɪlˌbleɪzə/
noun
1.
a leader or pioneer in a particular field
2.
a person who blazes a trail
Derived Forms
trailblazing, adjective, noun
Word Origin and History for trailblazer
n.

by 1893, from trail (n.) + agent noun from blaze (2).