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 notesIn 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
Vocabulary Flow
Build your vocabulary from words like pancake.
Vocabulary Flow serves the next word, and the next — meaning, pronunciation and an example each time. Practice at your level, or learn English in your own language.
Start vocabulary practice
Word forms
- Plural
- pancakes
- Third person singular
- pancakes
- Past tense
- pancaked
Fill the gap
Can you complete this real example?
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.
Class of 1400
pancake joined the language around 1400.
See the full Class of 1400 →
Synonyms
View more →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.
