Definition of PANCAKE

pancake

Meanings

Plural: pancakes

Noun

  • a flat cake of thin batter fried on both sides on a griddle
  • A thin batter cake fried in a pan or on a griddle in oil or butter; in particular:
  • In England, an often unleavened cake similar to a crepe.
  • A thin batter cake fried in a pan or on a griddle in oil or butter; in particular:
  • In the US (and e.g. Scotland), a leavened, thicker, fluffier cake.
  • A kind of makeup, consisting of a thick layer of a compressed powder.
  • A type of throw, usually with a ring where the prop is thrown in such a way that it rotates round an axis of the diameter of the prop.
  • Anything very thin and flat.
  • Composite leather made of scraps, glue and board, by extension of (4), material originally used for insoles, but later used also for heels and even soles.
  • A box on which an actor stands to make them appear taller.
  • A defensive play in which the ball bounces off the top of a hand that has been pressed flat against the floor.

Verb

  • To make a pancake landing.
  • To collapse one floor after another.
  • To flatten violently.
  • To lie out flat, like a pancake; sploot.

Origin / Etymology

Inherited from Middle English pancake, panne cake, pankake, ponkake, equivalent to pan + cake.
Perhaps adapted from Middle Low German pankôke, pannekôke, from Old Saxon *pannakōko (suggested by derivatives Old Saxon pannakōkilo and pannakōkilīn), where the compound is much older; compare Old High German phankuohho (8th century), whence Middle High German phankuoche, German Pfannkuchen (“pancake”); further
Saterland Frisian Ponkouke, Ponkuuke (“pancake”), West Frisian pankoek (“pancake”), Dutch pannenkoek (“pancake”), German Low German Pannkook (“pancake”).
The juggling sense is by analogy with a pancake being tossed in a pan.

Synonyms

battercake, crepe, crêpe, flannel cake, flannel-cake, flapcake, flapjack, griddle cake, griddlecake, hot cake, hotcake, pikelet

Scrabble Score: 15

pancake is a valid Scrabble (US) TWL word
pancake is a valid Scrabble Word in Merriam-Webster MW Dictionary
pancake is a valid Scrabble Word in International Collins CSW Dictionary

Words With Friends Score: 18

pancake is a valid Words With Friends word