a flash in the pan

a Determinative

— A is used when the following word could be any of a certain type. Compare "A book I saw on the shelf" and "The book I gave you yesterday".

a Noun

— A is the first letter of the alphabet. The letter "a" comes before "b". — In some schools, an A is a very high grade. Ron got an A on his earth science test.

flash Noun

— A flash is a sudden bright light. He used the flash on his camera. — A flash is a very fast period of time. The tall man disappeared in a flash.

flash Verb

— If something flashes, it shines brightly and suddenly. The fountain flashed in the sunshine. It rained hard. flashed and we heard thunder. The light from the car flashed through the window into the house for a second when the car drove past.

in Preposition

— Used to show that something is inside something else. The cat is in the box. — Used to show that someone is at home, or is available. Is John in? The Doctor is now in. — Used to show movement towards the inside. The rain came in through the window.

the Determiner

— Used, instead of a, to reference something specific, already known to exist. Compare "I read a book." and "I read the book." — Used with a stress, to show that the word following is special. Are you the John Smith that I went to school with? — Used with an adjective that acts like a noun to mean all of the people concerned The poor are always with us. — Used with superlatives forms of adjectives and adverbs. You are the best.

pan Noun

— A pan is a metal container usually with one long handle. It is used for cooking. — The contents of a pan.

pan Verb

— To turn horizontally (especially with a camera).

Pan Proper noun

— The Greek god of nature, often shown as half goat and half man playing pipes. — A chimpanzee