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frying pan

frying pan

23 1.0
A shallow pan with a long handle for cooking food in hot oil
  • noun
  • /ˈfraɪɪŋ pæn/
translation icon : sartén
  • But the main things people have questions on is why I cook my soup in a frying pan rather than the saucepan.

So without further ado, let's throw this little guy into the frying pan.

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Examples

  • The cast-iron frying pan hanging from the rack above the stove is just the right size.

    Fiction book (1996)
  • The catfish just jumped right into your frying pan.

  • I guess we'll use the frying pan after all.

  • In the days of poverty, the big frying pan in the kitchen served the same purpose.

    Fiction book (1993)
  • So it's just going to cut them into small bits and then put that into a frying pan with a little bit of oil.

  • But once it's all coated, put it into a frying pan with oil.

  • The heat supplied to a frying pan depends on the burner and its setting.

    Academic text (1999)
  • His mother was at the fireplace tending a large black frying pan, where the bacon sizzled and sputtered.

    Fiction book (1990)
  • Heat 1 tablespoon of butter in a frying pan and add the mushroom slices, salt, and pepper.

    Academic text (1990)
  • To make the omelette, first heat some oil in a large frying pan over medium heat.

Synonyms

pan
vsfrying pan
268 1.0

A shallow wide container, usually metal, for cooking food

is a more specific item focused on cooking with oil rather than general uses
skillet
vsfrying pan
  • US
66 2.5

A shallow pan with a long handle for frying food

is the same cooking item but has a different common name
spider
vsfrying pan
  • Archaic
3 9.9

A heavy cast iron pan with legs used for cooking over a fire

is the common shallow handled stovetop cooking item not the legged open fire type
omelet pan
vsfrying pan
  • US
1 2.4

A shallow pan with a long handle and slanted sides for cooking omelets

is the general shallow cooking item without sloping sides
frypan
vsfrying pan
1.0

A flat metal or non-stick cooking dish with a handle used to cook food in hot oil

is the same basic cooking item rather than a different form
electric frying pan
vsfrying pan
  • US
2.8

A pan with a built-in electric heater that cooks food without a stove

is the same shallow cooking vessel but uses external heat instead
cooking pan
vsfrying pan
1.0

A wide shallow metal container for making food on a stove

is narrower, emphasising cooking with oil using a long handle

How Deep

stockpot
2 2.3
saucepan
34 1.0
wok
18 2.0
frying pan
23 1.0
to griddle
1 3.6

Surface Forms

frying pan singular
frying pans plural

Morphology

frying + pan

The meaning 'a shallow pan used for frying' is directly and transparently derived from combining 'frying' (the process of cooking in hot oil) with 'pan' (a cooking vessel). This gerund/compound pattern is predictable and common across languages, so a B1 learner who knows both words would readily infer the MWE's meaning.

Etymology

Frying pan comes from a plain cooking image: it is the pan you use for frying. Picture a shallow pan with hot oil and a long handle for cooking eggs or vegetables, and that picture explains why the word means 'a shallow pan for frying food'.