skillet
Americannoun
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skillets
plural
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a frying pan.
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a cylindrical serving vessel of the late 17th and early 18th centuries, having a hinged lid, a handle, and, sometimes, feet.
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Chiefly British. a long-handled saucepan.
noun
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a small frying pan
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a saucepan
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
Etymology
Origin of skillet
1375–1425; late Middle English; origin uncertain
Explanation
A skillet is a round pan that you use to cook things on the stove. Use your skillet to cook bacon and eggs, NOT as a weapon. You can also call a skillet a "frying pan," and in many parts of the English-speaking world, that's what they do. Skillets are primarily used for frying food, but you can also sauté, sear, brown, or scramble in a skillet. In Britain, a skillet is an old-fashioned type of cooking pot with legs. Experts think the word comes from the Middle French esculette, "a little dish," from the Latin root scutella, "serving platter."
Vocabulary lists containing skillet
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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.
See Examples For:
You can caramelize the corn in a skillet, but if you prefer it with a late-summer-smoky-char, cook the shucked cobs on the grill before cutting off the kernels.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 29, 2026
Consumers started cooking for themselves more, and sales of its bestselling 10.25-inch skillet, typically selling for $29.95, spiked.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 19, 2026
Lightly coat the bottom of a skillet with olive oil and set it over medium heat.
From Salon ● Aug. 16, 2026
Uncover the skillet, increase the heat to medium-high and continue to cook for an additional four minutes, until the liquid reduces to a glaze.
From Salon ● Jul. 22, 2026
Alex grabbed the wet rag he used to clean the kitchen, took the scalding skillet by the handle, and hurried to the sliding door at the back of the kitchen.
From "Outcasts United: An American Town, a Refugee Team, and One Woman's Quest to Make a Difference" by Warren St. John
In Neighborly Park Circle, a shop focused on local producers and designers, I admired the Smithey iron skillets and J. Stark bags, but with just $4 remaining, I left empty-handed.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jan. 2, 2026
She scrubs all manner of kitchenware: trays, pans, cooking sheets, plates, skillets.
From Los Angeles Times ● Mar. 20, 2025
The dish’s ubiquitous serving style, in cast-iron skillets, also stems from this time period, when iron was used for trains and utensils.
From Seattle Times ● May 5, 2024
I have a few pots, skillets, a few good cutting boards.
From Salon ● Jun. 8, 2022
Her skillets smoked with dandelion, tobacco, aloeswood, and devil's bit, ready to welcome the spirits to cross over for a meal.
From "The Marvellers" by Dhonielle Clayton
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Get a wordDefinitions 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.
