Meaning & Definition of word "Pan"

Pan

/pæn/

noun:

  • 1. A shallow, flat-bottomed container used for cooking or baking.
    • Example: She placed the cake batter in the round pan before putting it in the oven.
  • 2. A wide, shallow dish or bowl, often used to hold food or for serving.
    • Example: The chef used a large pan to serve the pasta to the guests.
  • 3. A metal container, with or without a handle, for holding and cooking food.
    • Example: Don't forget to flip the steak in the frying pan.

verb:

  • 1. To move a camera horizontally to follow a subject.
    • Example: The director instructed the cameraman to pan across the audience during the performance.
  • 2. To criticize severely; to critique harshly.
    • Example: The film was panned by critics for its poor storyline.

Etymology

Middle English pan, from Old English panna.

Common Phrases and Expressions

pan out:

To have a successful outcome.

pan and scan:

A technique to fit a wide screen image into a standard screen size.

pan over:

To move a camera horizontally across a scene.

Related Words

frying pan:

A flat-bottomed pan used for frying foods.

skillet:

A heavy pan used for frying or cooking food.

Slang Meanings of pan

Meaning: To criticize heavily.

Example Sentence: The film was panned by most critics.

Meaning: To shoot video with sweeping camera movements.

Example Sentence: They decided to pan the shot to include the audience.