Pancake

Part of speech: noun

Pronunciation: /ˈpæn.keɪk/

Definitions

1. A flat, round dish made from a batter that is cooked on a hot surface
2. A thin, round food cooked quickly on a hot griddle ; to suddenly fall or collapse flat onto a surface
3. A flat cake made from a smooth batter cooked on a skillet ; to drop or cave in abruptly in a flat manner

Etymology: The word "pancake" is a compound of "pan" and "cake," and its oldest roots reach back well before English. The "pan" part traces to Old English "panne," which came from Proto-Germanic "pannǭ," and "cake" comes from Old Norse "kaka." Behind "pan" lies a much older chain: Ancient Greek "pătánē" and Latin "patina," which probably passed through an earlier, unrecorded substrate language. The compound itself seems to have taken shape on the continent before it reached English. Its likely ancestor is Old Saxon "pannakōko," attested through derivatives, and Old High German "phankuohho" from the 8th century, which became German "Pfannkuchen." English first recorded forms appear as Middle English "pankake," "panne cake," and "ponkake," which is why the word's English spelling and structure look so transparent. The juggling sense, as in a pancake race or tossing a pancake, is an analogy with flipping the cake in a pan.

Synonyms: flapjack, griddlecake