flapjack

American  

[flap-jak] / ˈflæpˌdʒæk /

noun

1. a pancake or griddlecake.

2. British. a small case for face powder; compact.

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flapjack British  

/ ˈflæpˌdʒæk /

noun

1. a chewy biscuit made with rolled oats

2. another word for pancake

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Regionalisms

See pancake.

Etymology

Origin of flapjack

First recorded in 1590–1600; flap (in the obsolete sense “to flip a pancake”) + jack ¹, a catchall, humorous term for an object or person ( crackerjack )

Explanation

A flapjack is a cake cooked on a grill or griddle, usually for breakfast. You can also call flapjacks "pancakes" — and when they're served with real maple syrup and berries, you can call them delicious! Other terms for flapjacks include "hotcakes" and "griddlecakes." They're thin cakes made from batter that's cooked briefly on both sides in butter or oil. Flapjacks are usually sweet and served with syrup or fruit. There are many variations on the flapjack, including the delicate French crêpe, the Canadian buckwheat ploye, and the potato pancake. The word flapjack is believed to come from flipping, or "flapping," the cake on a griddle.

Example Sentences

But legs, it turns out, are not necessary for something as flat as a flapjack to hop around.

From New York Times • Dec. 7, 2021

In the blinding artificial light, she homes in on a monster-sized flapjack and devours it, washing it down with a glass of water before returning to bed.

From BBC • Apr. 21, 2016

So there's a recipe for raw, vegan flapjack snacks with nuts, seeds, dates, oats and fruit.

From Los Angeles Times • Dec. 4, 2015

You could just about cook a flapjack on the kitchen floor.

From Textbooks • Sep. 1, 2010

The recovering Mr. Flux’s limbs and torso retracted quickly from his smooshed, flapjack form to something resembling a human.

From "The Last Last-Day-of-Summer" by Lamar Giles