panel

American  

[pan-l] / ˈpæn l /

noun

1. a distinct portion, section, or division of a wall, wainscot, ceiling, door, shutter, fence, etc., especially of any surface sunk below or raised above the general level or enclosed by a frame or border.

2. a comparatively thin, flat piece of wood or the like, as a large piece of plywood.

3. a group of persons gathered to conduct a public discussion, judge a contest, serve as advisers, be players on a radio or television game, or the like.

   a panel of political scientists meeting to discuss foreign policy.

4. a public discussion by such a group.

5. Law.

   1. a list of persons summoned for service as jurors.

   2. the body of persons composing a jury.

   3. (in Scotland) the person or persons arraigned for trial.

6. a mount for or a surface or section of a machine containing the controls and dials.

7. Electricity. a switchboard or control board, or a division of a switchboard or control board containing a set of related cords, jacks, relays, etc.

8. a broad strip of material set vertically in or on a dress, skirt, etc.

9. Painting.

   1. a flat piece of wood of varying kinds on which a picture is painted.

   2. a picture painted on such a piece of wood.

10. (in Britain) a list of approved or cooperating doctors available to patients under a health insurance program.

11. Aeronautics. a lateral subdivision of an airfoil with internal girder construction.

12. Engineering, Building Trades.

    1. the space on the chord of a truss between any two adjacent joints made by principal web members with the chord.

    2. the space within the web of a truss between any two such joints and a corresponding pair of joints or a single joint on an opposite chord.

13. the section between the two bands on the spine of a bound book.

14. Mining. an area of a coal seam separated for mining purposes from adjacent areas by extra thick masses or ribs of coal.

15. a pad placed under a saddle.

16. a pad, cloth, or the like, serving as a saddle.

17. a pane, as in a window.

18. a slip of parchment.

19. a photograph much longer in one dimension than the other.

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verb (used with object)

panels, present (3rd person singular) paneled, past participle, past panelled, past participle, past paneling, present participle panelling present participle

1. to arrange in or furnish with a panel or panels.

2. to ornament with a panel or panels.

3. to set in a frame as a panel.

4. to select (a jury).

5. Scots Law. to bring to trial.

panel British  

/ ˈpænəl /

noun

1. a flat section of a wall, door, etc

2. any distinct section or component of something formed from a sheet of material, esp of a car body, the spine of a book, etc

3. a piece of material inserted in a skirt, dress, etc

4. 1. a group of persons selected to act as a team in a quiz, to judge a contest, to discuss a topic before an audience, etc

   2. ( as modifier )

      a panel game

5. a public discussion by such a group

   a panel on public health

6. law

   1. a list of persons summoned for jury service

   2. the persons on a specific jury

7. Scots law a person indicted or accused of crime after appearing in court

8. 1. a thin board used as a surface or backing for an oil painting

   2. a painting done on such a surface

9. any picture with a length much greater than its breadth

10. See instrument panel

11. 1. a list of patients insured under the National Health Insurance Scheme

    2. a list of medical practitioners within a given area available for consultation by these patients

12. informal receiving sickness benefit, esp from the government

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verb

1. to furnish or decorate with panels

2. to divide into panels

3. law

   1. to empanel (a jury)

   2. (in Scotland) to bring (a person) to trial; indict

Grammar

See collective noun.

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• repanel
  verb (used with object)
• subpanel
  noun
• unpanelled
  adjective
• unpaneled
  adjective

Conjugated Forms

Present

• has paneled
  perfect 3rd person singular
• have paneled
  perfect
• have panelled
  perfect
• has panelled
  perfect 3rd person singular
• are paneling
  progressive
• has been panelling
  perfect progressive 3rd person singular
• has been paneling
  perfect progressive 3rd person singular
• have been paneling
  perfect progressive
• have been panelling
  perfect progressive
• is paneling
  progressive 3rd person singular
• am panelling
  progressive 1st person singular
• are panelling
  progressive
• paneling
  participle
• panels
  singular 3rd person
• is panelling
  progressive 3rd person singular
• am paneling
  progressive 1st person singular
• panelling
  participle

Past

• had panelled
  perfect
• had paneled
  perfect
• was paneling
  progressive singular
• had been paneling
  perfect progressive
• was panelling
  progressive singular
• panelled
  simple
• panelled
  participle
• were panelling
  progressive plural
• paneled
  simple
• had been panelling
  perfect progressive
• were paneling
  progressive plural
• paneled
  participle

Future

• will panel
  simple
• will have paneled
  perfect
• will have panelled
  perfect
• will have been panelling
  perfect progressive
• will be paneling
  progressive
• will be panelling
  progressive
• will have been paneling
  perfect progressive

Etymology

Origin of panel

First recorded in 1250–1300; Middle English, from Old French panel “a piece (of anything),” diminutive of pan “piece of cloth or the like”; see pane, -elle

Explanation

If you are participating in some kind of contest, it is not ethical to bribe the judges on the panel with brownies. On the other hand, don’t stick your tongue out at them either, since they’ll be determining the winner. Panel is derived from Old French and originally meant “a piece of cloth.” It’s still used as a sewing term, but now it has additional meanings. It can mean “jury,” as above, and can also refer to a flat piece of a hard surface, often rectangular, such as the wood panel of a door or wall. Panel is also a verb meaning "to install panels." Finally, a control panel has a lot of switches and is a way to make some machines work.

Example Sentences

But parliament also began an impeachment process and established an independent panel to investigate the allegations.

From BBC • Jun. 5, 2026

All you need is a 200-watt panel and a “microinverter,” with setups starting at around $500.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 5, 2026

The new secretary of the Army, Pete Geren, was handed a list of the Army generals who would serve on that year’s panel to select which colonels would be promoted to one-star general.

From Slate • Jun. 5, 2026

“However legal papers are prepared, and however legal technology develops, the court’s procedural and ethical rules apply with equal force,” the three-judge panel wrote.

From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 4, 2026

She colored strips of parachute silk to use as scarves, and she carried a picture of roses on her Yak’s instrument panel.

From "A Thousand Sisters" by Elizabeth Wein

Related Words

• board
• bureau
• cabinet
• commission
• forum
• group
• jury
• task force
• tribunal