Meaning & use
skillet
Last updated
UK/ˈskɪlɪt/
US/ˈskɪlɪt/
Meaning
nouncountableAmerican
A heavy flat pan with a long handle, used for frying food over direct heat.
Grammar: Countable: a skillet, two skillets. Often used with 'in': cook in a skillet.
Patterns
- in a skillet
- a cast-iron skillet
- heat a skillet
Heat some oil in a skillet and fry the onions until soft.
She cooked the eggs in a small skillet.
This cast-iron skillet is perfect for making cornbread.
Word forms
| plural | skillets |
|---|
Common combinations
- cast-iron skillet
- A cast-iron skillet retains heat very well.
- in a skillet
- Melt the butter in a skillet over medium heat.
- skillet-fried
- We had skillet-fried chicken for dinner.
- heavy skillet
- Use a heavy skillet so the meat browns evenly.
Synonyms and how they differ
- frying pan
- The usual British term for the same object; in American English it is also common, but 'skillet' often suggests a heavier pan.
- pan
- A general word for any cooking container with a flat bottom; 'skillet' is more specific.
Practice
Which sentence uses 'skillet' correctly?
Choose one answer.
A skillet is used for frying over direct heat, so 'fried the bacon in a hot skillet' fits. Boiling pasta, baking a cake, or serving soup are not typical uses of a skillet.
Make it your own
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