panel

[ pan-l ]
See synonyms for panel on Thesaurus.com
noun
  1. a distinct portion, section, or division of a wall, wainscot, ceiling, door, shutter, fence, etc., especially of any surface sunk below or raised above the general level or enclosed by a frame or border.

  2. a comparatively thin, flat piece of wood or the like, as a large piece of plywood.

  1. a group of persons gathered to conduct a public discussion, judge a contest, serve as advisers, be players on a radio or television game, or the like: a panel of political scientists meeting to discuss foreign policy.

  2. a public discussion by such a group.

  3. Law.

    • a list of persons summoned for service as jurors.

    • the body of persons composing a jury.

    • (in Scotland) the person or persons arraigned for trial.

  4. a mount for or a surface or section of a machine containing the controls and dials.

  5. Electricity. a switchboard or control board, or a division of a switchboard or control board containing a set of related cords, jacks, relays, etc.

  6. a broad strip of material set vertically in or on a dress, skirt, etc.

  7. Painting.

    • a flat piece of wood of varying kinds on which a picture is painted.

    • a picture painted on such a piece of wood.

  8. (in Britain) a list of approved or cooperating doctors available to patients under a health insurance program.

  9. Aeronautics. a lateral subdivision of an airfoil with internal girder construction.

  10. Engineering, Building Trades.

    • the space on the chord of a truss between any two adjacent joints made by principal web members with the chord.

    • the space within the web of a truss between any two such joints and a corresponding pair of joints or a single joint on an opposite chord.

  11. the section between the two bands on the spine of a bound book.

  12. Mining. an area of a coal seam separated for mining purposes from adjacent areas by extra thick masses or ribs of coal.

  13. a pad placed under a saddle.

  14. a pad, cloth, or the like, serving as a saddle.

  15. a pane, as in a window.

  16. a slip of parchment.

  17. a photograph much longer in one dimension than the other.

verb (used with object),pan·eled, pan·el·ing or (especially British) pan·elled, pan·el·ling.
  1. to arrange in or furnish with a panel or panels.

  2. to ornament with a panel or panels.

  1. to set in a frame as a panel.

  2. to select (a jury).

  3. Scots Law. to bring to trial.

Origin of panel

1
First recorded in 1250–1300; Middle English, from Old French panel “a piece (of anything),” diminutive of pan “piece of cloth or the like”; see pane, -elle

Grammar notes for panel

Other words from panel

  • re·pan·el, verb (used with object), re·pan·eled, re·pan·el·ing or (especially British) re·pan·elled, re·pan·el·ling.
  • sub·pan·el, noun
  • un·pan·eled, adjective
  • un·pan·elled, adjective

Words that may be confused with panel

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

British Dictionary definitions for panel

panel

/ (ˈpænəl) /


noun
  1. a flat section of a wall, door, etc

  2. any distinct section or component of something formed from a sheet of material, esp of a car body, the spine of a book, etc

  1. a piece of material inserted in a skirt, dress, etc

    • a group of persons selected to act as a team in a quiz, to judge a contest, to discuss a topic before an audience, etc

    • (as modifier): a panel game

  2. a public discussion by such a group: a panel on public health

  3. law

    • a list of persons summoned for jury service

    • the persons on a specific jury

  4. Scots law a person indicted or accused of crime after appearing in court

    • a thin board used as a surface or backing for an oil painting

    • a painting done on such a surface

  5. any picture with a length much greater than its breadth

  6. (formerly, in Britain)

    • a list of patients insured under the National Health Insurance Scheme

    • a list of medical practitioners within a given area available for consultation by these patients

  7. on the panel British informal receiving sickness benefit, esp from the government

verb-els, -elling or -elled or US -els, -eling or -eled (tr)
  1. to furnish or decorate with panels

  2. to divide into panels

  1. law

    • to empanel (a jury)

    • (in Scotland) to bring (a person) to trial; indict

Origin of panel

1
C13: from Old French: portion, from pan piece of cloth, from Latin pannus; see pane 1

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012