pancake

1 of 3

noun

pan·​cake ˈpan-ˌkāk How to pronounce pancake (audio)
: a flat cake made of thin batter and cooked (as on a griddle) on both sides

pancake

2 of 3

verb

pancaked; pancaking

transitive verb

1
: to cause to pancake
2
: to knock flat

Pan-Cake

3 of 3

trademark

used for a cosmetic in semimoist cake form

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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Noun
The eggy pancake, studded with warm berries, fragrant with cardamom and crunchy with almonds delivers a gently sweet treat that can solve a dessert emergency with very little effort. The Washington Post, San Diego Union-Tribune, 11 June 2025 As chef Bill Jeong’s crispy jeon approaches the table, the generous shavings of bonito dance and flutter atop the savory seafood pancake that’s shot through with strands of scallions and coated with aioli. Jeremy Repanich, Robb Report, 10 June 2025
Verb
That feeling was reaffirmed during a trip to Louisiana last week when Campbell pancaked his future coach. Chad Graff, New York Times, 25 Apr. 2025 Some models suggest that a second moon, just a few hundred kilometers across, formed past the far side and then slowly approached the moon and pancaked itself. Paul Sutter, Space.com, 17 Mar. 2025 See All Example Sentences for pancake

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

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Pancake.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/pancake. Accessed 18 Jun. 2025.

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

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!