1
a
: a usually broad, shallow, and open container for domestic use (as for cooking)
b
: any of various similar usually metal receptacles: such as
(1)
: the hollow part of the lock in a firelock or flintlock gun that receives the priming
(2)
: either of the receptacles in a pair of scales
(3)
: a round shallow usually metal container for separating metal (such as gold) from waste by washing
c
d
2
a(1)
: a natural basin or depression in land
(2)
: a similar artificial basin (as for evaporating brine)
b
: a drifting fragment of the flat thin ice that forms in bays or along the shore
3
4
slang
: face
5
: a harsh criticism
panned; panning
1
a
: to wash in a pan for the purpose of separating heavy particles
b
: to separate (a substance, such as gold) by panning
c
: to place in a pan
2
: to criticize severely
the show was panned
1
: to wash material (such as earth or gravel) in a pan in search of metal (such as gold)
2
: to yield precious metal in the process of panning
—usually used with out
1
: the process of panning a movie or video camera
2
: a shot in which the camera is panned
panned; panning
: to rotate (a camera, such as a movie camera) so as to keep an object in the picture or secure a panoramic effect
: a Greek god of pastures, flocks, and shepherds usually represented as having the legs, horns, and ears of a goat
Pan is often depicted playing a panpipe.
Panama
peroxyacetyl nitrate
1
: all : completely
panchromatic
2
a
: involving all of a (specified) group or region
Pan-American
b
: advocating or involving the union of a (specified) group
Pan-Slavism
3
: whole : general
panleukopenia
Synonyms
Examples of pan in a Sentence
Noun (1)
hey, I could do without seeing your ugly pan for a few days
Verb (1)
virtually all the movie critics have panned this latest sequel in a tired series
Recent Examples on the Web
Cathy Thomas, Orange County Register, 11 Nov. 2024
Pour the miso sauce all over the fish and vegetables, lower the heat to medium, and cover the pan with a lid or a sheet of kitchen foil.
—The Week Uk, theweek, 8 Nov. 2024
Josh Broadwell, Rolling Stone, 4 Nov. 2024
The clip panned around the team on their way among other straphangers and followed the athletes eventually exiting the train, having to duck below the subway's threshold.
—Marina Watts, People.com, 4 Nov. 2024
See all Example Sentences for pan 
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
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Noun
Place roasting pan on two stove burners over low heat and add 3/4 cup fat.
—Cathy Thomas, Orange County Register, 11 Nov. 2024
Pour the miso sauce all over the fish and vegetables, lower the heat to medium, and cover the pan with a lid or a sheet of kitchen foil.
—The Week Uk, theweek, 8 Nov. 2024
Verb
Critics and fans alike panned 2013’s Mario & Luigi: Dream Team for its tedious prologue, filled with tutorials that stretched on far too long.
—Josh Broadwell, Rolling Stone, 4 Nov. 2024
The clip panned around the team on their way among other straphangers and followed the athletes eventually exiting the train, having to duck below the subway's threshold.
—Marina Watts, People.com, 4 Nov. 2024
See all Example Sentences for pan
Dictionary Entries Near pan
Cite this Entry
“Pan.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/pan. Accessed 1 Dec. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
pan
1 of 3 noun1
a
: a usually broad, shallow, and open container for cooking
b
: something resembling a pan
2
: a basin or depression in the earth
a salt pan
pan
2 of 3 verb
panned; panning
1
: to wash earthy material in a pan to concentrate bits of metal
pan for gold
2
: to yield precious metal in panning
3
: to criticize severely
pan
3 of 3 verb
panned; panning
: to move a motion-picture or television camera so as to keep a moving object in view or to scan a scene
Etymology
Noun
Old English panne "pan for cooking," derived from Latin patina (same meaning)
Verb
from earlier pan "the process of panning," short for panorama
Medical Definition
Pan
1 of 2 noun
: a genus of anthropoid apes containing the chimpanzee
PAN
2 of 2 abbreviation
peroxyacetyl nitrate
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