skillet
Americannoun
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a frying pan.
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a cylindrical serving vessel of the late 17th and early 18th centuries, having a hinged lid, a handle, and, sometimes, feet.
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Chiefly British. a long-handled saucepan.
noun
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a small frying pan
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a saucepan
Etymology
Origin of skillet
1375–1425; late Middle English; origin uncertain
Explanation
A skillet is a round pan that you use to cook things on the stove. Use your skillet to cook bacon and eggs, NOT as a weapon. You can also call a skillet a "frying pan," and in many parts of the English-speaking world, that's what they do. Skillets are primarily used for frying food, but you can also sauté, sear, brown, or scramble in a skillet. In Britain, a skillet is an old-fashioned type of cooking pot with legs. Experts think the word comes from the Middle French esculette, "a little dish," from the Latin root scutella, "serving platter."
Vocabulary lists containing skillet
Pestle, Sieve, and Whisk: Useful Words for Cooking Tools
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Shiloh
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Orbiting Jupiter
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
"I'm just thrilled," Teresa Breckinridge, owner of the Silver Skillet Diner in Atlanta, Georgia, told the BBC.
From BBC • Apr. 29, 2025
In December, diner chain Skillet agreed to pay $318,782 to 181 Seattle employees after an investigation found violations of wage theft and paid sick-time ordinances.
From Seattle Times • Apr. 7, 2024
Several leading Christian bands – Creed, Skillet, Switchfoot and Pedro the Lion, among others – have migrated out of the evangelical subculture to find broader audiences.
From Salon • Nov. 26, 2022
To conserve, Mr. Sandoval’s restaurant, the Skillet, shifted to serving dishes like brisket tacos and green chile fries on paper plates, accompanied by disposable utensils.
From New York Times • Sep. 26, 2022
He takes "Pot," an' "Skillet" from de Fiddler's Ball.
From Negro Folk Rhymes Wise and Otherwise: With a Study by Talley, Thomas Washington
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
