Meaning & use
saucepan
Last updated
Meaning
nouncountable
A deep cooking pan with a long handle, used for boiling, simmering, or making sauces on a stove.
Grammar: Countable: a saucepan, two saucepans. Often used with 'in' or 'on': in a saucepan, on the saucepan.
Patterns
- in a saucepan
- a saucepan of water
- heat something in a saucepan
Boil the pasta in a large saucepan of salted water.
She left the saucepan on the stove and the milk boiled over.
Melt the butter in a small saucepan over low heat.
Word forms
| plural | saucepans |
|---|
Common combinations
- a saucepan of water
- Bring a saucepan of water to a boil.
- in a saucepan
- Simmer the vegetables in a covered saucepan.
- a non-stick saucepan
- A non-stick saucepan makes cleaning easier.
- a lid for the saucepan
- Put a lid on the saucepan to keep the heat in.
Synonyms and how they differ
Commonly confused: saucepan or frying pan? saucepan or stockpot?
saucepan vs frying pan
A frying pan is shallow with a long handle, used for frying; a saucepan is deeper and used for liquids.
saucepan vs stockpot
A stockpot is very large and usually has two side handles; a saucepan is smaller with one long handle.
Practice
Which sentence uses 'saucepan' correctly?
Choose one answer.
A saucepan is used for boiling and simmering liquids, so 'boiled the rice in a saucepan' is correct. Frying is done in a frying pan, baking in an oven, and serving in a bowl.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “saucepan”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.