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• a variation of pan-pan.

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• pan
  pan

  noun

  a broad, shallow container of metal, usually having sides flaring outward toward the top, used in various forms for frying, baking, washing, etc.
• Pan
  Pan

  noun

  the ancient Greek god of forests, pastures, flocks, and shepherds, represented with the head, chest, and arms of a man and the legs and sometimes the horns and ears of a goat.
• pan-
  pan-

  a combining form meaning “all,” occurring originally in loanwords from Greek (panacea; panoply ), but now used freely as a general formative (panleukopenia; panorama; pantelegraph; pantheism; pantonality ), and especially in terms, formed at will, implying the union of all branches of a group (Pan-Christian; Panhellenic; Pan-Slavism ). The hyphen and the second capital tend with longer use to be lost, unless they are retained in order to set off clearly the component parts.
• Pan.
  Pan.

  abbreviation

  Panama.

pan

¹ American  

[pan] / pæn /

noun

1. a broad, shallow container of metal, usually having sides flaring outward toward the top, used in various forms for frying, baking, washing, etc.

2. any similar receptacle or part, as the scales of a balance.

3. the amount a pan holds or can hold; panful.

   a pan of shelled peas.

4. any of various open or closed containers used in industrial or mechanical processes.

5. a container in which silver ores are ground and amalgamated.

6. a container in which gold or other heavy, valuable metals are separated from gravel or other substances by agitation with water.

7. a drifting piece of flat, thin ice, as formed on a shore or bay.

8. a natural depression in the ground, as one containing water, mud, or mineral salts.

9. a similar depression made artificially, as for evaporating salt water to make salt.

10. (in old guns) the depressed part of the lock, holding the priming.

11. Also panning an unfavorable review, critique, or appraisal.

    The show got one rave and three pans.

12. Slang. the face.

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verb (used with object)

panned, panning

1. Informal. to criticize severely, as in a review of a play.

2. 1. to wash (gravel, sand, etc.) in a pan to separate gold or other heavy, valuable metal.

   2. to separate (gold or other heavy, valuable metal) from gravel or sand in this way.

3. to cook or bake in a pan.

verb (used without object)

panned, panning

1. to wash gravel, sand, etc., in a pan in seeking gold or the like.

2. to yield gold or the like, as gravel washed in a pan.

verb phrase

1. pan out to turn out, especially successfully.

   The couple's reconciliation just didn't pan out.

pan ² American  

[pan] / pæn /

verb (used without object)

panned, panning

1. to film, photograph, or televise something with the camera fixed in place and pivoted horizontally left or right, in order to keep a moving person or object in view or to capture a wide view.

   They usually pan from one end of the playing field to the other during the opening of the football game.

2. (of a camera) to be pivoted horizontally to the right or left from a fixed place in order to keep a moving person or object in view or to capture a wide view.

   The cameras panned occasionally during the scene.

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verb (used with object)

panned, panning

1. to pivot (a camera) on its horizontal axis in order to follow a moving person or thing, or to capture an extended view.

   to pan the camera across the scene.

2. to photograph, film, or televise (a scene, moving character, etc.) by pivoting the camera on its horizontal axis.

   pan the skyline.

3. Audio. to direct (a signal output) to one of the speakers in a sound system, to a point between speakers, or, especially, through a continuum from one side to the other to create the impression that the source is moving.

   They gradually panned the vocal recording from the right to the left channel as the song progressed.

noun

1. the act of pivoting a camera, which is fixed in place, to the left or right.

2. Also called panning shot. the filmed shot resulting from this.

pan ³ American  

[pan] / pæn /

noun

1. a major vertical division of a wall.

2. a nogged panel of half-timber construction.

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pan ⁴ American  

[pahn] / pɑn /

noun

1. the leaf of the betel.

2. a substance, especially betel nut or a betel-nut mixture, used for chewing.

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pan ⁵ American  

[pahn] / pɑn /

noun

Informal.

1. panguingue.

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Pan ⁶ American  

[pan] / pæn /

noun

1. the ancient Greek god of forests, pastures, flocks, and shepherds, represented with the head, chest, and arms of a man and the legs and sometimes the horns and ears of a goat.

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pan- ⁷ American  

1. a combining form meaning “all,” occurring originally in loanwords from Greek (panacea; panoply ), but now used freely as a general formative (panleukopenia; panorama; pantelegraph; pantheism; pantonality ), and especially in terms, formed at will, implying the union of all branches of a group (Pan-Christian; Panhellenic; Pan-Slavism ). The hyphen and the second capital tend with longer use to be lost, unless they are retained in order to set off clearly the component parts.

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Pan. ⁸ American  

abbreviation

1. Panama.

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pan ¹ British  

/ pɑːn, pæn /

noun

1. the leaf of the betel tree

2. a preparation of this leaf which is chewed, together with betel nuts and lime, in India and the East Indies

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pan ² British  

/ pæn /

verb

1. to move (a film camera) or (of a film camera) to be moved so as to follow a moving object or obtain a panoramic effect

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noun

1. 1. the act of panning

   2. ( as modifier )

      a pan shot

Pan ³ British  

/ pæn /

noun

1. Greek myth the god of fields, woods, shepherds, and flocks, represented as a man with a goat's legs, horns, and ears

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Pan. ⁴ British  

abbreviation

1. Panama

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pan ⁵ British  

/ pæn /

noun

1. 1. a wide metal vessel used in cooking

   2. ( in combination )

      saucepan

2. Also called: panful. the amount such a vessel will hold

3. any of various similar vessels used esp in industry, as for boiling liquids

4. a dish used by prospectors, esp gold prospectors, for separating a valuable mineral from the gravel or earth containing it by washing and agitating

5. either of the two dishlike receptacles on a balance

6. Also called: lavatory pan. the bowl of a lavatory

7. 1. a natural or artificial depression in the ground where salt can be obtained by the evaporation of brine

   2. a natural depression containing water or mud

8. the indented top from an oil drum used as the treble drum in a steel band

9. See hardpan brainpan

10. a small ice floe

11. a slang word for face

12. a small cavity containing priming powder in the locks of old guns

13. a hard substratum of soil

14. short for pan loaf

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verb

1. to wash (gravel) in a pan to separate particles of (valuable minerals) from it

2. (of gravel) to yield valuable minerals by this process

3. informal (tr) to criticize harshly

   the critics panned his new play

pan- ⁶ British  

combining form

1. all or every

   panchromatic

2. including or relating to all parts or members

   Pan-African

   pantheistic

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Pan Cultural  

1. The Greek god of flocks, forests, meadows, and shepherds. He had the horns and feet of a goat. Pan frolicked about the landscape, playing delightful tunes.

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pan Idioms  

More idioms and phrases containing pan

• flash in the pan
• out of the frying pan

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Usage

What does pan- mean? Pan- is a combining form used like a prefix meaning “all.” It is often used in a variety of scientific and technical terms, particularly in pathology. Pan- comes from the Greek pâs, meaning “all.” The term pancreas, a gland in the stomach, is ultimately related to this same Greek root. So do panacea and many other words English gets from Greek. The equivalent form derived from Latin is omni-, as in omnivore, which comes from Latin omnis, “all.”What are variants of pan-?Pan- is a variant of panto-. Another variant of pan- is pant-, as in pantalgia. Want to know more? Read our Words That Use articles on pant- and panto-.

Discover More

According to legend, Pan was the source of scary noises in the wilderness at night. Fright at these noises was called “panic.”

Pan's musical instrument was a set of reed pipes, the “pipes of Pan.”

Other Word Forms

• panner
  noun

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Etymology

Origin of pan¹

First recorded before 900; Middle English, Old English panne; cognate with Dutch pan, German Pfanne, Old Norse panna; further origin uncertain, perhaps from assumed Vulgar Latin patna, panna “pan,” from Latin patena, patina “shallow dish, shallow pan, stewpan,” from Greek patánē “dish, flat dish.” Pan, in the sense “face,” is an Americanism first recorded in 1920–25; see origin at paten ( def. )

Origin of pan²

First recorded in 1920–25; shortening of panorama

Origin of pan³

First recorded in 1735–45; from French, Middle French; see origin at pane

Origin of pan⁴

First recorded in 1610–20; from Hindi pān; compare Pali, Prakrit paṇṇa, Sanskrit parṇa “leaf, betel leaf”

Origin of pan⁵

First recorded in 1935–40; by shortening

Origin of pan-⁷

< Greek pan- combining form of pâs (neuter pân ) all, every, pân everything

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Explanation

A pan can be a cooking utensil, a negative opinion, or a sweeping camera shot. You cook eggs in a pan, but as a film critic you might pan a new docudrama for poor editing and overuse of pan shots. A pan is a shallow metal object that you use to cook food. It can also be a verb indicating you're expressing a negative view. To pan a performance, book, or movie is to say that you think it stunk. If all the critics pan something, sales usually go down, but not always. To pan a film or video camera is to move it from left to right or right to left in a smooth motion.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

pan Pan pan- Pan. panned panning

I crisped the breadcrumbs separately in a pan with olive oil, red pepper flakes and the zest of an entire lemon, then spooned them over the cabbage just before serving.

From Salon ● Oct. 30, 2026

There have been, it seems, a thousand flashes in the pan: Beto O’Rourke’s rolled-up shirtsleeves, Anthony Weiner’s city-kid mouthiness, Graham Platner’s stupid little butch mustache.

From Slate ● Oct. 27, 2026

Even if the AI trade doesn’t pan out, Brazil’s stock market could still benefit from its significant exposure to energy should the country’s economy expand under potentially new fiscal policies.

From MarketWatch ● Oct. 12, 2026

What do you do when the splashiest investments in the history of the sport don’t pan out?

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 4, 2026

See Mama swatting a frying pan of flames with a dish towel.

From "Paradise on Fire" by Jewell Parker Rhodes

Higher iron ore shipments from China and Brazil as well as rising tanker freight rates amid Middle East conflicts likely boosted Pan Ocean’s 3Q earnings, Bae says.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 14, 2026

“The data is there,” said Pan, speaking before a banner decorated with purple butterflies and the proclamation, “Black Mothers Matter.”

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 11, 2026

As a doctor and state lawmaker, Pan said, he worked to expand healthcare and address the needs of his community.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 11, 2026

In a desperate attempt to bring him back, Ma Moe San Pan was then scammed out of 4.5 million kyats by strangers who falsely promised his release.

From BBC ● Oct. 10, 2026

Lyra was crying, and Asta was trying to comfort Pan, but the little ferret wouldn’t be comforted and burrowed closer around Lyra’s neck, only irritating her further.

From "The Book of Dust: La Belle Sauvage" by Philip Pullman

Any of the salmon, halibut, scallops and seafood behind the glass display can be poached, pan- or deep-fried for $3 upon request.

From Seattle Times ● Aug. 9, 2018

These drugs are pan- genotypic -- meaning they are effective across the different types of hepatitis C. They could become the backbone for an Interferon-free combination.

From BusinessWeek ● Feb. 20, 2012

His decisiveness appeals to those Arabs who dream of pan- Arab unification and worship Arab dignity.

From Time Magazine Archive

When the soldiers have crawled out of their graves and the news of the miracle is broadcast over the earth, pan- demonium is loosed.

From Time Magazine Archive

The chopped steak may be either broiled or pan- broiled.

From School and Home Cooking by Carlotta Cherryholmes Greer

A high school friend, Michael Shapot, 62, hit the nail on the proverbial head: “Call me Peter Pan. My plan is to never grow up and need senior living.”

From Washington Post ● Feb. 7, 2020

He kept saying, “I’m Peter Pan. I’m living a Peter Pan life.”

From Washington Post ● Aug. 26, 2016

From an ancient Chinese astrological table and the P'u Pan. the necromancer's divining board.

From Time Magazine Archive

“Yeah. I reckon we’ve got to do it, Pan. We’ll go up there and we’ll search for Dust, and when we’ve found it we’ll know what to do.”

From "The Golden Compass" by Philip Pullman

“That’s why we needed our full life, Pan. We would have gone with Will and Kirjava, wouldn’t we?”

From "The Amber Spyglass" by Philip Pullman

But they panned its cramped front-facing screen, mediocre camera, clunky buttons and heavy weight.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 23, 2026

Even those critics who panned “Marie Antoinette” 20 years ago could find something to adore here.

From Salon ● Oct. 20, 2026

The BBC’s China correspondent Laura Bicker unpacks how the trip panned out for Beijing and Washington.

From BBC ● Sep. 25, 2026

But it was panned by investors for failing to provide much new information, and the Cybercab is currently in a limited deployment in Austin.

From MarketWatch ● Sep. 17, 2026

He panned a faded striped sofa on the sidewalk with a free sign, a Giants pennant fluttering on a rooftop deck.

From "Book Scavenger" by Jennifer Chambliss Bertman

Then, b-roll, panning above a vast two-wing building identifiable as a hospital by its helipad.

From Slate ● Sep. 22, 2026

Days 2 and 3 of the draft were only unproductive if you treated them like panning for gold.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 28, 2026

The television cameras kept panning to the Wales team in the crowd, who could only sit and wait to see if they had won a medal, before they were denied a bronze by England.

From BBC ● Jul. 28, 2026

Key to how Morgan Stanley sees things panning out is the non-consensus view of the investment bank’s economists who believe the Fed will stay on hold in 2026.

From MarketWatch ● Jul. 21, 2026

Ivan’s eyes darted to the side, panning for an escape route, but Sigurd was faster.

From Anya and the Dragon by Sofiya Pasternack

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