pan
A2Neutral
Definition
Meaning
A wide, typically shallow, open container used for cooking, baking, or other domestic or industrial purposes.
Any similar shallow container or receptacle; to criticize severely; to wash gravel in a pan to separate out gold; a broad, shallow depression or hollow; in cinematography, a horizontal camera movement.
Linguistics
Semantic Notes
The word is a classic example of polysemy, where a core concrete object (the cooking vessel) has generated numerous metaphorical and technical extensions (criticize, search for gold, camera move). The verb senses are derived from the noun.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
Minimal. Both use 'frying pan' and 'saucepan'. 'Panhandle' (to beg) is slightly more common in AmE. In baking, 'baking tin' is more common in BrE where AmE might use 'pan' (e.g., 'brownie pan').
Connotations
Largely identical. 'Pan' as a verb meaning to criticize is equally strong in both.
Frequency
Equally high-frequency in both dialects due to its core domestic meaning.
Vocabulary
Collocations
Grammar
Valency Patterns
pan [OBJ] (e.g., pan the film)pan for [OBJ] (e.g., pan for gold)pan [OBJ] as [COMP] (e.g., pan the performance as dull)[SUBJ] pan out (e.g., How did it pan out?)Vocabulary
Synonyms
Strong
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “out of the frying pan and into the fire”
- “a flash in the pan”
- “pan out”
Usage
Context Usage
Business
Used metaphorically: 'The new project didn't pan out as expected.'
Academic
Rare, except in specific fields like film studies ('a panning shot') or geology ('a salt pan').
Everyday
Extremely common for cooking: 'Put the eggs in the pan.' Also used for criticism: 'The critics panned the film.'
Technical
In film/TV: a horizontal camera movement. In mining: the process of separating gold from gravel.
Examples
By Part of Speech
verb
British English
- The broadsheet papers panned the Prime Minister's speech.
- They spent the summer panning for gold in Scotland.
- The camera will pan slowly across the crowd.
American English
- The reviewer panned the Broadway play mercilessly.
- Early prospectors panned for gold in these streams.
- The security camera pans the parking lot every 30 seconds.
adverb
British English
- N/A (Not a standard adverb form)
American English
- N/A (Not a standard adverb form)
adjective
British English
- N/A (Not a standard adjective form)
American English
- N/A (Not a standard adjective form)
Examples
By CEFR Level
- I need a pan to cook the eggs.
- The water is boiling in the pan.
- She washed the pan after dinner.
- Be careful, the handle of the frying pan is hot.
- The film was panned by most critics.
- His idea for a new business never panned out.
- Out of the frying pan and into the fire, he left a stressful job only to find an even worse one.
- The documentary used a slow pan across the devastated landscape to powerful effect.
- The ambitious scheme to revitalise the city centre was widely panned as unrealistic and extravagantly costly.
- Geological surveys suggest the arid basin was once a vast evaporite pan.
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Imagine a frying PAN with a map of PANama painted on it – it's a PAN for cooking and a place you might PAN for gold.
Conceptual Metaphor
CRITICISM IS PHYSICAL ATTACK ('pan a performance'), SUCCESS IS VALUABLE METAL ('pan out'), SCOUTING IS SWEEPING ('pan the horizon').
Watch out
Common Pitfalls
Translation Traps (for Russian speakers)
- Do not confuse with Russian 'пан' (a Polish lord, sir).
- The cooking 'pan' is typically 'сковорода' (frying pan) or 'кастрюля' (saucepan), not a generic 'банка' or 'миска'.
- The verb 'to pan' (criticize) is not related to 'паника' (panic).
Common Mistakes
- Using 'pan' for a deep pot (use 'pot' or 'saucepan').
- Incorrect preposition: 'pan the gold' vs. correct 'pan *for* gold'.
- Confusing 'pan out' (succeed/develop) with 'pan' (criticize).
Practice
Quiz
In film direction, what does the command 'Pan left' mean?
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
A pan is typically wide and shallow (like a frying pan), while a pot is deeper with high sides (like a saucepan or stockpot), though 'saucepan' blurs this distinction.
Yes, 'pan out' is neutral. 'Things panned out well' is positive, 'It didn't pan out' is negative. It refers to the final result of a process.
It is neutral but slightly journalistic. It is common in reviews (film, book, theatre) and news reports.
It comes from old flintlock muskets. The 'pan' held gunpowder. Sometimes it would flash but fail to ignite the main charge, resulting in a brief show with no result.
Collections
Part of a collection
Food and Cooking
A2 · 50 words · Cooking methods, kitchen tools and recipes.