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noun B2 Upper-Intermediate Uncommon

pancake

PAN-kayk

Pancake (noun) means a thin, flat cake made from batter and cooked in a pan, often eaten for breakfast or dessert. Example: “She stacked three pancakes and drizzled them with maple syrup.”

noun
1
A thin, flat cake made from batter and cooked in a pan, often eaten for breakfast or dessert.
"She stacked three pancakes and drizzled them with maple syrup."
"We had pancakes with bacon on Sunday morning."
verb
1
To flatten completely, especially in a crash or collapse.
"The car pancaked after hitting the guardrail at high speed."
"The upper floors pancaked onto the ones below during the collapse."

How to use pancake

Learner’s notes

In plain EnglishThe breakfast food everyone knows, or (as a verb) something collapsing or flattening completely, like a building or a badly landed aircraft.

Common pairings
stack of pancakes pancake landing pancake collapse

Word forms

pancaked past tense, pancakes plural, pancakes singular

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She stacked three _____ and drizzled them with maple syrup.

Etymology

A straightforward compound of "pan" and "cake," describing a cake cooked flat in a frying pan — in use since at least the 15th century.

· First attested 1400

Class of 1400 pancake joined the language around 1400.
See the full Class of 1400 →
crêpe crepe flapjack griddle cake hotcake pikelet

Related words

Rhymes for pancake

See all rhymes for pancake →

Frequently asked questions

What does “pancake” mean?

The word “pancake” means a thin, flat cake made from batter and cooked in a pan, often eaten for breakfast or dessert. In plain terms, the breakfast food everyone knows, or (as a verb) something collapsing or flattening completely, like a building or a badly landed aircraft.

How do you pronounce “pancake”?

“Pancake” is pronounced PAN-kayk (/ˈpæn.keɪk/ in IPA).

How do you use “pancake” in a sentence?

Here is “pancake” used in a sentence: “She stacked three pancakes and drizzled them with maple syrup.”

What is another word for “pancake”?

Words with a similar meaning to “pancake” include crêpe, crepe, flapjack, griddle cake, hotcake and pikelet.

What part of speech is “pancake”?

Depending on how it is used, “pancake” can be a noun and a verb.

Where does the word “pancake” come from?

The word “pancake” dates back to around 1400. A straightforward compound of "pan" and "cake," describing a cake cooked flat in a frying pan — in use since at least the 15th century.

Is “pancake” a common word?

“Pancake” is an uncommon word in modern English, usually learned at around the B2 level.

How many meanings does “pancake” have?

“Pancake” has 2 distinct senses listed in this dictionary. The most common is: a thin, flat cake made from batter and cooked in a pan, often eaten for breakfast or dessert.

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Definitions: FreeDict original editorial