saucepan
Americannoun
noun
Etymology
Origin of saucepan
Compare meaning
How does saucepan compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:
Explanation
A saucepan is a deep stovetop pan with a long handle and, usually, a lid. You might use a saucepan to cook sauce, or for the macaroni from your box of macaroni and cheese. Saucepans are made out of various materials, from stainless steel and aluminum to copper and enamel-coated metal. If you have a kitchen, it's pretty likely you have a saucepan. They are deep enough to boil water in, and made to be used on top of a flame or electric coil. As you might guess from the name, the first saucepans, invented in the 17th century, were intended only for making sauces.
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.
As the peaches soften, periodically crush them against the side of the saucepan with the back of a wooden spoon or a potato masher to help release their juices.
From Salon ● Aug. 16, 2026
I’ll do this over medium-low heat in a small saucepan.
From Salon ● Jun. 13, 2026
Meanwhile, make the blueberry sauce: Combine the remaining blueberries, water, honey, orange juice and a pinch of salt in a small saucepan over medium heat.
From Salon ● May 25, 2026
"It could be a person, it could be an animal, a flower, a film, a photograph in the newspaper, just anything. A saucepan in the kitchen, boiling, you know, the steam coming…"
From BBC ● Feb. 24, 2026
But it caught at once, and soon one of their last bottles of water was heating in the little saucepan.
From "The Book of Dust: La Belle Sauvage" by Philip Pullman
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.
