panel

1 of 2

noun

pan·​el ˈpa-nᵊl How to pronounce panel (audio)
1
a(1)
: a schedule containing names of persons summoned as jurors
(2)
: the group of persons so summoned
summoned a panel of 40 citizens for jury duty
(3)
: jury sense 1
The 12-person panel arrived at a guilty verdict.
b(1)
: a group of persons selected for some service (such as investigation or arbitration)
a panel of experts
a government advisory panel
(2)
: a group of persons who discuss before an audience a topic of public interest
The panel agreed to accept questions following the discussion.
(3)
: a group of entertainers or guests engaged as players in a quiz or guessing game on a radio or television program
The quiz show included a panel of three players.
2
: a separate or distinct part of a surface: such as
a
: a fence section : hurdle
b(1)
: a thin usually rectangular board set in a frame (as in a door)
(2)
: a usually sunken or raised section of a surface set off by a margin
(3)
: a flat usually rectangular piece of construction material (such as plywood or precast masonry) made to form part of a surface
c
: a vertical section of fabric (such as a gore)
d
: comic strip
also : a frame of a comic strip
The comic strip was composed of four panels.
3
: a thin flat piece of wood on which a picture is painted
also : a painting on such a surface
4
a
: a section of a switchboard (as for circuit breakers or for a telephone exchange)
… he entered the basement to work on the electrical panel and circuits …Thomas J. Nardi
b
: a usually vertical mount for controls or dials (as of instruments of measurement)
Most microwave ovens have a control panel with numbers from 0 to 9.

panel

2 of 2

verb

paneled or panelled; paneling or panelling

transitive verb

: to furnish or decorate with panels
paneled the living room

Examples of panel in a Sentence

Noun The university is hosting a panel on free speech. Tonight's show features a panel of famous chefs. Three of the members on the panel are doctors. The advisory panel has recommended that the drug be approved. A panel of judges selected the book for this year's award. The room was visible through the door's glass panel. One of the ceiling panels needs to be replaced. Each of the skirt's five panels is a different color. Sew the two panels together to form a tablecloth. Aside from a dent in one of the side panels the car is in good shape. Verb We paneled the living room with oak. The walls were paneled in oak.
Recent Examples on the Web
Noun
That wasn’t enough to clear McBride’s qualified immunity protections in federal court, the panel ruled, but was enough to justify another look in state court, where qualified immunity doesn’t apply. Kevin Rector, Los Angeles Times, 22 Mar. 2024 The main deck cockpit includes a dining area with sliding glass panels for protection against the elements and an outdoor living area. Rachel Cormack, Robb Report, 22 Mar. 2024 Launched in November, the search included a series of meetings where residents could voice their thoughts on the department’s next chief, the development of a survey that collected similar information and several interview panels with community, city and law enforcement leaders. Lyndsay Winkley, San Diego Union-Tribune, 21 Mar. 2024 The panel recommended that clinical trials for pulse oximeters include more diverse groups of participants across all skin tones. Jacqueline Howard, CNN, 20 Mar. 2024 The final panel of the week was perhaps the most newsworthy. Spin Contributor, SPIN, 22 Mar. 2024 Indiana Comic Con will have celebrity panels, costume contests, a place to meet comic creators and book authors, art, game rooms, vendors. John Tufts, The Indianapolis Star, 22 Mar. 2024 The product can be identified by the country of origin — India or Vietnam — and the ot number printed on the back panel of the plastic pouches. Brianna Taylor, Sacramento Bee, 21 Mar. 2024 In a separate action related to the 737 Max, the FAA on Friday said the plane had wiring issues that were prompting a flight-control panel to malfunction in flight and causing jets to roll without pilot input. Mary Schlangenstein, Fortune, 8 Mar. 2024
Verb
Takal uses vivid color and paneled iconography to explore complex issues relating to behavior and personal patterns. Seth Combs, San Diego Union-Tribune, 17 Mar. 2024 Upon returning to Wildhorse 66 horse rescue in Ash Fork on Jan. 3, founder and Chairwoman Kim Meagher found $11,000 worth of paneling missing from her rescue. The Arizona Republic, 28 Jan. 2024 The wood paneled store, with its green walls and bookshelves, has the original flooring from its past life as a market. Nushrat Rahman, Detroit Free Press, 18 Jan. 2024 That office is now gone, the wood paneling a thing of lore now, and so, too, are any reminders that the 49ers were once housed there. Joe Davidson, Sacramento Bee, 9 Feb. 2024 Related content The lobby retains its historic Art Deco charm with the original terrazzo flooring, decorative logo paneled walls, and a mural by Earl LaPan depicting an Everglades idyll that was the fashion in South Beach hotel lobbies in the 1930s. Miami Staff, Miami Herald, 30 Jan. 2024 While the great room has an open layout, the room is strategically separated through the use of wall paint and variations in ceiling paneling from the kitchen and dining area to the living room. Emma Reynolds, Robb Report, 29 Jan. 2024 O’Neill’s goal is to grow the company and stockpile enough lumber to produce flooring in addition to paneling. Jill Draper, Kansas City Star, 24 Jan. 2024 The grounding order was issued after an Alaska flight was forced to make an emergency landing in Portland, Ore., last Friday after a door plug — an exit that’s paneled off rather than used as a door — blew out, leaving the plane with a gaping hole and forcing passengers to wear oxygen masks. Rachel Lerman, Washington Post, 10 Jan. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'panel.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Middle English panel, panele, pannel "piece of cloth, saddle cloth, pane of glass, part, division, list of jurors on a piece of parchment, jury," borrowed from Anglo-French, "section of a surface, covering on a horse, list of jurors" (continental Old & Middle French also panel, penel "piece of cloth, kind of gaiter, saddle cushion"), going back to Vulgar Latin *pannellus, from Latin pannus "piece of cloth, rag" + -ellus, diminutive suffix — more at vane

Note: Compare pane. As trial by jury was an English rather than a continental tradition, it is unsurprising that panel in the sense "list of jurors" developed only in Anglo-French.

Verb

Middle English panellen "to cover a saddle with cloth, empanel a jury," derivative of panel, panele "piece of cloth, saddle cloth, pane of glass, part, division, list of jurors on a piece of parchment, jury" — more at panel entry 1

First Known Use

Noun

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a(1)

Verb

15th century, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of panel was in the 14th century

Dictionary Entries Near panel

Cite this Entry

“Panel.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/panel. Accessed 29 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

panel

1 of 2 noun
pan·​el ˈpan-ᵊl How to pronounce panel (audio)
1
a
: a list or a group of persons selected as jurors
b
: a group of persons who discuss a topic before an audience
c
: a group of entertainers or guests who are players in a quiz or guessing game on a radio or television program
2
: a separate or different part of a surface: as
a
: a usually rectangular and sunken or raised section of a door, wall, or ceiling
b
: a flat usually rectangular piece of construction material (as plywood) made to form part of a surface
c
: a lengthwise section of cloth (as in a skirt or dress)
3
a
: a thin flat piece of wood on which a picture is painted
b
: a painting on such a surface
4
: a usually vertical mount for controls or dials (as of instruments of measurement)

panel

2 of 2 verb
paneled or panelled; paneling or panelling
: to furnish or decorate with panels

Medical Definition

panel

noun
pan·​el ˈpan-ᵊl How to pronounce panel (audio)
: a list or group of persons selected for some service: as
a
: a list of physicians from among whom a patient may make a choice in accordance with various British health and insurance plans
b
: the patients cared for by a doctor under such a plan

Legal Definition

panel

noun
pan·​el
1
: a group of community members summoned for jury service
2
: a group of usually three judges among the judges sitting on an appellate court who hear a particular appeal compare full court

More from Merriam-Webster on panel

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!