Griddle

Part of speech: noun

Pronunciation: /ˈɡɹɪdəl/

Definitions

1. A flat cooking surface, typically made of metal, heated from below and used for cooking pancakes, eggs, or other foods
2. A flat and heated surface made of metal used for cooking a variety of foods including pancakes, meats, and sandwiches
3. A flat metal plate designed to be heated from underneath and used to cook foods such as pancakes or eggs

Etymology: The surprising part is that "griddle" and "grate" are the same word, split apart over centuries. Both descend from Latin "crāticulum," a diminutive of "crātis," meaning wickerwork or hurdle, so the original sense was a small lattice of woven or barred material. Through Old French "greil" and Anglo-Norman "gredil," it reached Middle English as "gridil," which kept the grid-like shape in its meaning. The word's sense narrowed as it passed through the language. The lattice that held food over a fire became a solid heated plate, which is what a modern griddle is. Its relatives followed similar paths: "gridiron," "grill," and "grate" all come from the same Latin source, and they are doublets, meaning separate English words borrowed by different routes from one root.

Synonyms: pan, skillet, frying pan, hot plate, cooking surface