: a flat cake made of thin batter and cooked (as on a griddle) on both sides
Examples of pancake in a Sentence
Noun
We had blueberry pancakes and sausage for breakfast.
She wore sequins, false eyelashes, and pancake onstage.
Recent Examples on the Web
Stephen Witt, The New Yorker, 27 Nov. 2023
Would also be good for breakfast (better than a pancake) or brunch.
—Micah A Leal, Southern Living, 24 Nov. 2023
Try the brown butter pancakes. 🏕️ Here are California’s 10 most coveted state campgrounds, with tips on how to book them.
—Ryan Fonseca, Los Angeles Times, 22 Nov. 2023
Visual Recipe Cards: Very simple recipes for granola, fruit parfaits, and pancakes.
—Simone Scully, Parents, 26 Oct. 2023
From tamales to cheeseburger pancakes, the renowned chef is sharing creative cooking techniques for eggs, masa, and pancakes.
—Christianna Silva, Better Homes & Gardens, 14 Nov. 2023
Blue grits turn lavender when water is added to the mix, and produce grayish-blue baked goods, like pancakes and cornbread.
—Southern Living Editors, Southern Living, 9 Nov. 2023
The study mathematically describes how a viscous fluid folds onto itself like a coiling rope—just like pouring cold maple syrup on pancakes.
—Jennifer Ouellette, Ars Technica, 3 Nov. 2023
Suresh agrees that exposure is key—his three-year-old loves to help make pancakes and dosas and is even learning how to cut produce.
—The Bon Appétit Staff & Contributors, Bon Appétit, 2 Nov. 2023
Dan Schilling, Outside Online, 17 Apr. 2023
The driver's car, found pancaked at the bottom of the ravine, was unrecognizable, according to Leum.
—Peter Charalambous, ABC News, 25 July 2023
Officials said the failure happened when the second floor fell into the first, causing all the floors to pancake all the way into the basement.
—Heavier Vehicles, Curbed, 21 Apr. 2023
Modern and traditional recipes punctuate the narrative — the lush New York Shuk Salad with its creamy roast eggplant and saffron yogurt finish, the fresh whey ceviche, and whey pancakes to please everyone.
—Deborah Reid, Washington Post, 17 May 2023
Pictures and video from the scene, at 57 Ann Street, between Nassau and William Streets, showed cars pancaked atop one another and dust rising from the wreckage.
—Ed Shanahan, New York Times, 18 Apr. 2023
More than 50,000 people died as buildings toppled, crumbled or pancaked.
—Nimet Kirac, New York Times, 4 May 2023
The city of Los Angeles alone has more than 13,000 soft-story buildings — structures built over open parking areas, which are at risk of pancaking during an earthquake.
—Omar Villafranca, CBS News, 22 Feb. 2023
In the coming minutes, some sections will pancake, while others will topple completely.
—Bruce Barcott, Outside Online, 25 Aug. 2011
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Noun
Huang, rolling a pancake around a sausage with his fingers, dismissed my concerns.
—Stephen Witt, The New Yorker, 27 Nov. 2023
Would also be good for breakfast (better than a pancake) or brunch.
—Micah A Leal, Southern Living, 24 Nov. 2023
Try the brown butter pancakes. 🏕️ Here are California’s 10 most coveted state campgrounds, with tips on how to book them.
—Ryan Fonseca, Los Angeles Times, 22 Nov. 2023
Visual Recipe Cards: Very simple recipes for granola, fruit parfaits, and pancakes.
—Simone Scully, Parents, 26 Oct. 2023
From tamales to cheeseburger pancakes, the renowned chef is sharing creative cooking techniques for eggs, masa, and pancakes.
—Christianna Silva, Better Homes & Gardens, 14 Nov. 2023
Blue grits turn lavender when water is added to the mix, and produce grayish-blue baked goods, like pancakes and cornbread.
—Southern Living Editors, Southern Living, 9 Nov. 2023
The study mathematically describes how a viscous fluid folds onto itself like a coiling rope—just like pouring cold maple syrup on pancakes.
—Jennifer Ouellette, Ars Technica, 3 Nov. 2023
Suresh agrees that exposure is key—his three-year-old loves to help make pancakes and dosas and is even learning how to cut produce.
—The Bon Appétit Staff & Contributors, Bon Appétit, 2 Nov. 2023
Verb
Unfortunately, their snow, while deep, had pancaked and the skiing on the lower slopes, while untracked, was, frankly, no good for skiing.
—Dan Schilling, Outside Online, 17 Apr. 2023
The driver's car, found pancaked at the bottom of the ravine, was unrecognizable, according to Leum.
—Peter Charalambous, ABC News, 25 July 2023
Officials said the failure happened when the second floor fell into the first, causing all the floors to pancake all the way into the basement.
—Heavier Vehicles, Curbed, 21 Apr. 2023
Modern and traditional recipes punctuate the narrative — the lush New York Shuk Salad with its creamy roast eggplant and saffron yogurt finish, the fresh whey ceviche, and whey pancakes to please everyone.
—Deborah Reid, Washington Post, 17 May 2023
Pictures and video from the scene, at 57 Ann Street, between Nassau and William Streets, showed cars pancaked atop one another and dust rising from the wreckage.
—Ed Shanahan, New York Times, 18 Apr. 2023
More than 50,000 people died as buildings toppled, crumbled or pancaked.
—Nimet Kirac, New York Times, 4 May 2023
The city of Los Angeles alone has more than 13,000 soft-story buildings — structures built over open parking areas, which are at risk of pancaking during an earthquake.
—Omar Villafranca, CBS News, 22 Feb. 2023
In the coming minutes, some sections will pancake, while others will topple completely.
—Bruce Barcott, Outside Online, 25 Aug. 2011
See More
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'pancake.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Word History
First Known Use
Noun
14th century, in the meaning defined above
Verb
1911, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense
Time Traveler
The first known use of pancake was
in the 14th century
Phrases Containing pancake
Dictionary Entries Near pancake
Cite this Entry
“Pancake.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/pancake. Accessed 11 Dec. 2023.
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Kids Definition
pancake
noun
pan·cake
ˈpan-ˌkāk
: a flat cake usually made of thin batter and cooked on both sides on a griddle or in a frying pan
More from Merriam-Webster on pancake
Nglish: Translation of pancake for Spanish Speakers
Britannica English: Translation of pancake for Arabic Speakers
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