griddle

American  

[grid-l] / ˈgrɪd l /

noun

1. a frying pan with a handle and a slightly raised edge, for cooking pancakes, bacon, etc., over direct heat.

2. any flat, heated surface, especially on the top of a stove, for cooking food.

   a quick breakfast from the luncheonette's griddle.

3. Upstate New York Older Use. a circular lid covering an opening on the cooking surface of a wood or coal-burning stove.

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verb (used with object)

griddled, griddling

1. to cook on a griddle.

   Griddle two eggs for me, will you?

griddle British  

/ ˈɡrɪdəl /

noun

1. Also called: girdle.  a thick round iron plate with a half hoop handle over the top, for making scones, etc

2. any flat heated surface, esp on the top of a stove, for cooking food

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verb

1. (tr) to cook (food) on a griddle

Etymology

Origin of griddle

1175–1225; Middle English gridel, gredil < Old French gridil, gredil; see grill ¹

Explanation

A griddle is a flat pan or stovetop that's used for cooking things quickly at high temperatures. Let's make pancakes on the griddle for breakfast. Yum! In a home kitchen, a griddle can be either a special metal pan. part of your stove, or a small appliance that you plug in; a restaurant griddle has a much larger surface. No matter what its size, the flat surface of a griddle gets hot fast, so you can easily whip up some scrambled eggs, hash browns, or bacon. Griddle originally meant "shallow frying pan," and it shares a root with grill.

Example Sentences

The Latin American griddle known as a budare that Sasha Correa’s father gave her, before she left Venezuela for Spain, kept her connected to her homeland, her family and her heritage.

From The Wall Street Journal • Nov. 21, 2025

Although the queen does not provide the instruction, the pancakes are then cooked on a hot griddle.

From BBC • Feb. 28, 2025

By noon, she and her mom load their white van with soup-filled pots, orange Home Depot buckets and a cast-iron griddle to heat up tortillas.

From Los Angeles Times • Dec. 23, 2023

Reheat in a medium cast-iron skillet or griddle over medium heat until heated through, about 60 seconds per side.

From Seattle Times • Jul. 16, 2023

One of Henry’s favorite things to do is leave the house before dawn and get some bacon frying on the griddle.

From "Shouting at the Rain" by Lynda Mullaly Hunt