pancake

[pan-keyk]

noun

1. a thin, flat cake of batter fried on both sides on a griddle or in a frying pan; griddlecake or flapjack.

2. Also called pancake landing. an airplane landing made by pancaking.

verb (used without object)

pancaked, pancaking 

1. (of an airplane or the like) to drop flat to the ground after leveling off a few feet above it.

verb (used with object)

pancaked, pancaking 

1. Informal.,  to flatten, especially as the result of a collision or other mishap.

   The car had been pancaked by the bus.

2. to cause (an airplane) to pancake.

pancake

/ ˈpænˌkeɪk /

noun

1. 1. a thin flat cake made from batter and fried on both sides, often served rolled and filled with a sweet or savoury mixture

   2. ( as modifier )

      pancake mix

2. a Scot name for drop scone

3. a stick or flat cake of compressed make-up

4. Also called: pancake landing. an aircraft landing made by levelling out a few feet from the ground and then dropping onto it

verb

1. to cause (an aircraft) to make a pancake landing or (of an aircraft) to make a pancake landing

Word History and Origins

Origin of pancake¹

First recorded in 1400–50; late Middle English; pan ¹, cake

Idioms and Phrases

see flat as a pancake.

Example Sentences

On Wednesday, Guzman purchased 15 dozen eggs, 25 pounds of pancake mix, 15 pounds of bacon.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

For something completely different, I decided to try her New York Dutch Baby, which is a kind of giant, puffy pancake akin to Yorkshire pudding.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

Still on my must-try list: a gingerbread-cranberry cheesecake trifle at Disneyland’s Jolly Holiday Bakery Cafe and the gingerbread pancakes at River Belle Terrace.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

The Incorrigibles wanted to play, too, but Penelope explained that they would help choose the winner and must therefore stay behind and eat second helpings of pancakes in order to maintain their neutrality.

Read more on Literature

The admiral reached over and took her hand, and his voice turned sweet and gooey as pancake syrup.

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Related Words

• cake 
• crepe 
• waffle