pan
UK: pæn | US: pæn
n. a wide, flat container used for cooking or serving food
n. a shallow depression in the ground, often containing water
vt. to wash gravel or sand in a pan to separate gold or other valuable minerals
vt. to criticize harshly (informal)
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The word "pan" traces back to the Greek prefix pan-, meaning "all" or "every." However, in its most common English usage (referring to a cooking vessel), it derives from Old English panne, which came from Latin patina (a shallow dish) and ultimately from Greek patanē (a flat dish). The mining sense ("to pan for gold") emerged in the 19th century, metaphorically extending the idea of sifting through material in a pan. The informal verb meaning "to criticize harshly" (e.g., "The movie was panned by critics") likely stems from the image of separating worthless material from valuable, as in gold panning.
She heated the oil in a pan before adding the vegetables.
The hikers found a small pan of water in the desert.
Prospectors panned the river for gold during the 1849 rush.
Critics panned the new play for its weak script.
The documentary panned the government’s environmental policies.