Definition

Noun: 1. A small metal cup or pan: A pannikin is a small drinking vessel or cooking pan, typically made of tin or another inexpensive metal. It often refers to a simple, utilitarian cup used for drinking beverages like water, tea, or alcohol. 2. The contents of such a cup: The word can also refer to the amount of liquid that fills a pannikin.

Usage Examples

• He drank a pannikin of water from the well.
• The prospector heated his beans in a small tin pannikin over the campfire.
• She offered the traveler a pannikin of weak tea.

Advanced Usage

• The term is often associated with historical, rustic, or outdoor contexts, such as life in the Australian outback, military campaigns, or mining camps in the 19th century. It evokes a sense of simplicity and hardship.
  • The old bushman's belongings consisted of little more than a swag, a billycan, and a tin pannikin.

Variants and Related Words

• Billycan (n): A lightweight cooking pot with a lid and a wire handle, used for boiling water over a fire. While similar in context, a billycan is typically a pot, whereas a pannikin is a cup.
• Mug (n): A more common modern term for a sturdy cup, usually with a handle.
• Tumbler (n): A flat-bottomed drinking glass without a handle or stem.

Synonyms

• Cup
• Mug
• Tin cup

Notes on Meaning

• The primary meaning is the object itself—the small metal cup. The secondary meaning (the contents) is a metonymic use, where the container's name is used to refer to what it holds. This usage is less common today.

Noun

1. a small pan or cup (usually of tin)