Peter Pan

American  

noun

1. the hero of Sir James M. Barrie's play about a boy who never grew up.

2. (italics) the play itself (1904).

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Peter Pan British  

noun

1. a youthful, boyish, or immature man

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Peter Pan Cultural  

1. (1904) A play by the Scottish author James Matthew Barrie about a boy who lives in Neverland, better known as Never-Never Land, a country where no child ever grows up. Peter brings the three children of the Darling family from London to Never-Never Land; they eventually decide not to stay, but Wendy, the eldest, promises to return every spring. Peter is assisted by his guardian fairy, Tinker Bell, and in the play he defeats his enemy, the pirate Captain Hook.

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Etymology

Origin of Peter Pan

C20: after the main character in Peter Pan (1904), a play by J. M. Barrie

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

Peter Pan

"My landlord used to call me Peter Pan," said 61-year-old Martin James, a former cleaner, farmer and singer who now spends much of his time buying, creating and altering his collectables.

From BBC ● Aug. 12, 2026

Both Hole’s Courtney Love and Babes in Toyland’s Kat Bjelland claimed to be the first to perform in vintage, threadbare dresses with Peter Pan collars and puff sleeves, accessorized with knee socks and Mary Janes.

From Salon ● Jun. 12, 2026

“That feeling of flying I had on Peter Pan all those years ago is still real to me,” he wrote in the Wednesday morning note.

From Los Angeles Times ● Mar. 18, 2026

I read Hans Christian Andersen’s sad and frightening tales; I read the E. Nesbit books, and the usual children’s classics of the time, such as Treasure Island and Peter Pan.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 2, 2025

They took the name from characters in the book Peter Pan.

From "Lost Boy, Lost Girl" by John Bul Dau