🧁 A small cake 🥒 A round squash 🥧 A baking pan

pattypan

7.4

A small round summer squash with a flat top and bottom and wavy edges

noun
/ˈpætiˌpæn/

: calabacín

Farmers markets often sell fresh pattypan squash during the summer months.
pattypan squash
pattypan and zucchini
scalloped pattypan

Examples

I bought a fresh pattypan at the farmer's market.
She decided to bake a vegetable casserole using fresh pattypan squashes from her garden.
She sliced the pattypan and added it to the vegetable stir-fry.
The chef stuffed a pattypan with rice and herbs for a colorful dish.
These pattypans are perfect for grilling.
The chef prepared a delightful dish featuring sautéed pattypan squash with garlic and herbs.
For dinner, we had a colorful salad that included diced pattypan squash, cherry tomatoes, and fresh basil.

Synonyms

pattypan squash

vspattypan

7.7

A small round summer vegetable with a flat shape and wavy edges often pale green, white, or yellow

is the shorter name focusing on flat top and culinary use rather than color

Compounds

pattypan squash

7.7

A small round summer vegetable with a flat shape and wavy edges often pale green, white, or yellow

How Big

pumpkin

338 1.0

butternut squash

8 2.5

zucchini

44 1.6

pattypan

7.4

Surface Forms

pattypan singular

pattypans plural

Morphology

pattypan = patty + pan (semi-transparent) = patty + pan

The squash is named for its shape resembling a small pan or patty, so the form-to-meaning link (shape → vegetable) is recognizable but not fully predictable.

Etymology

Pattypan for the squash comes from the same idea: the vegetable looks like a shallow, round pan used for a small cake, with flat top and scalloped edges. So calling it a pattypan helps you remember its flat, pan-like shape.