Pan has several meanings:

1. A shallow cooking container with a flat bottom and handle, used for frying eggs, sautéing vegetables, or making pancakes. Most kitchens have several pans: a big one for scrambled eggs, a smaller one for grilled cheese. When a recipe says to “heat a pan over medium heat,” it means to put it on the stove and turn on the burner.
2. To move a camera horizontally to follow action or show a wider view. When filming a soccer game, the camera operator pans across the field to follow the ball. Directors might pan left or right to reveal something surprising just outside the frame.
3. To search for gold by swirling dirt and gravel in a shallow pan with water. During the California Gold Rush of 1849, thousands of prospectors spent their days panning for gold in streams. The technique works because gold is heavier than dirt: when you swirl the pan, the lighter material washes away, and gold flakes or nuggets (if you're lucky!) settle to the bottom. People still pan for gold today as a hobby in certain streams and rivers.
4. To criticize harshly, especially a movie, play, or book. When critics pan a film, they write reviews explaining why they think it failed. A newspaper might pan a restaurant's food, or a theater critic might pan a musical's songs.