pan
gb/pˈæn/ us/pˈæn/
A1
English
~ 3500
Senses
0 senses
Noun
A1
entity
1
Shallow container for cooking food
A flat, wide dish used for cooking food on the stove or in the oven.
Usage pattern:
[someone] cooks [something] in a pan
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes confuse 'pan' with 'pot'; remember that a pan is usually shallow and wide, while a pot is deep.
Synonyms
skillet (Often used in American English to refer to a frying pan, especially one made of cast iron.)
Antonyms
pot (A deeper cooking container, often used for boiling or simmering.)
Collocations
frying pan
|baking pan
|non-stick pan
|pan lid
|cast-iron pan
Themes
cooking
|daily life
|kitchen
|food_drink
|daily_life
|core_vocabulary
Examples
- She fried the eggs in a small pan.
- The chef grabbed a pan from the shelf.
- Grease the pan before pouring in the batter.
- I bought a new non-stick pan yesterday.
- Place the vegetables evenly in the baking pan.
Learner examples
- I cook eggs in a pan.
- The pan is on the stove.
- She puts fish in the pan.
- This pan is very big.
- He cleans the pan after dinner.
Verb
B1
action
2
Move camera smoothly across scene
To slowly move a camera left, right, up, or down while filming or taking a picture.
Usage pattern:
to pan [camera/direction/scene]
Common mistake:
Some learners confuse 'pan' with 'zoom'; panning involves physically moving the camera's view, not changing its magnification.
Synonyms
scan (In filming, implies moving the camera to cover an area, but can also mean visually searching without actual camera movement.)
Antonyms
zoom (Changes the focal length to make subjects appear closer or farther without moving the camera physically.)
Collocations
pan left
|pan right
|pan across
|pan up
|pan down
Themes
film
|photography
|media
|arts_entertainment
|communication
|technology
Examples
- The director told the cameraman to slowly pan across the crowd.
- The shot pans up to reveal the mountains.
- The documentary opens by panning over the city skyline.
- He panned left to follow the moving car.
- The cameraman panned down to show the actor's hands.
Learner examples
- The camera pans left.
- They pan across the beach.
- She pans up to the sky.
- He pans down to the table.
- The movie pans across the city.
Verb
B2
action
3
Criticize severely in public
To say very bad things about something, like a movie or book, often in public.
Usage pattern:
to pan [something]
Common mistake:
Learners may confuse 'pan' with 'ban' due to similar pronunciation; remember that 'pan' here means heavy criticism, not prohibition.
Synonyms
slam (Informal term meaning to strongly criticize something.)
Antonyms
praise (To express approval or admiration instead of criticism.)
Collocations
critics panned
|panned by reviewers
|panned by the press
Themes
media
|opinion
|communication
|arts_entertainment
|core_vocabulary
Examples
- The film was panned by critics for its weak plot.
- Reviewers panned her latest novel.
- The play was panned despite having a talented cast.
- The restaurant was panned in the local paper.
- His performance was panned as uninspired.
Learner examples
- The critics panned the movie.
- They panned his new book.
- The play was panned by many people.
- Her song was panned by music fans.
- The game was panned for bad design.
Noun
A2
entity
4
Container for washing or work use
A flat container used for cleaning things or holding things like sand or water.
Synonyms
tray (A flat container with raised edges, though usually used for carrying items rather than cleaning.)
Collocations
gold pan
|dustpan
Themes
cleaning
|tools
|daily_life
|work
|core_vocabulary
Examples
- He filled the metal pan with soapy water.
- She used a gold pan to search for nuggets.
- He emptied the dustpan into the trash can.
- The mechanic placed the parts in an oil pan.
- The miners carried pans down to the river.
Learner examples
- I wash clothes in a pan.
- The gold is in the pan.
- She puts water in the pan.
- He holds a dustpan with trash.
- They use a gold pan at the river.
Grammar
Dictionary form
pan
IPA
GB/pˈæn/
US/pˈæn/
Syllables & stress
pan (1 syllable)
Stress on 1st syllable (pan)
Word forms
Verb
- Base: pan
- 3rd Person Singular: pans
- Present Participle: panning
- Past: panned
Word family
Forms
pans
verb
panning
verb
panned
verb
Advanced or less common
panful
noun
Highlights
- Irregular present participle: panning Verb
- Irregular past: panned Verb
Expressions
flash in the pan
1/flˈæʃ ˈɪn ðə pˈæn/
idiom
Brief success followed by failure
Something that seems good at first but does not last or succeed later.
Examples
- Many thought her hit song was just a flash in the pan, but she proved them wrong with more hits.
- The company's early success turned out to be a flash in the pan.
gold pan
1/ɡˈoʊld pˈæn/
fixed phrase
Tool for separating gold from sediment
A shallow round metal dish used to find gold in rivers by washing away dirt and sand.
Examples
- He bought a gold pan before heading to Alaska.
- Gold pans are essential for traditional prospecting.
pan out
1/pˈæn ˈaʊt/
phrasal verb
Turn out well or poorly in the end
To happen in a particular way, often ending successfully or as expected.
Examples
- Things didn't pan out as we hoped.
- Their business plan finally panned out after years of hard work.