Definition of "pan" []

• A shallow, wide, open container, usually of metal and without a lid, used for holding liquids, cooking, and other domestic purposes. (noun)
• A vessel similar in form to a pan, especially: (noun)
• An open metal dish used to separate gold or other metal from gravel or waste by washing. (noun)
• Either of the receptacles on a balance or pair of scales. (noun)
• A vessel used for boiling and evaporating liquids. (noun)

American Heritage(R) Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright (c) 2011 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

• "He put a big tin pan from the kitchen on his head, used a broom for a gun on this shoulder, and he started to mark time like a soldier …"
• "Very lightly grease a 12-cup muffin pan (skip this step if your pan is nonstick)."
• "Make sure the top of the muffin pan is also sprayed."