saucepan
Americannoun
noun
Etymology
Origin of saucepan
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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.
I like to make mine by heating sesame oil, minced garlic, minced ginger and cut green chillies in a small saucepan over medium heat.
From Salon • Jun. 28, 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
All you have to do is pour the gravy into a saucepan, warm it up and serve it in a gravy boat.
From Salon • Nov. 26, 2025
The seven-piece collection includes two Dutch ovens, a skillet, a saucepan, and a bonus braiser; the streamlined five-piece version offers a single Dutch oven.
From Salon • Nov. 20, 2025
The saucepan had boiled and the water had cooled enough for Lyra’s bottle, so Alice filled it and started to feed her.
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.
