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.
First, make the filling by melting butter in a large saucepan over medium heat and cooking chopped onions.
From Salon • Jun. 29, 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
I melted a knob of butter in a small saucepan, then a spoonful of the dried leaves.
From Salon • Aug. 26, 2025
Set up your double boiler: you want a medium-sized pot or saucepan with about an inch or two of water, and then a heat-proof bowl which fits snugly atop the pot.
From Salon • Jun. 5, 2025
He taught me how to eat avocados by melting grape jelly and french dressing together in a saucepan and filling the cup of the pear with the garnet sauce.
From "The Bell Jar" by Sylvia Plath
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.
