A dishpan is a large, usually plastic bowl that you fill with soapy water and wash plates, cups, and pans in. It sits in the sink, or on the counter, and you lift it out when you are done. The word is mainly American. In Britain people more often say washing-up bowl. It is a home word, not a restaurant word; restaurants have sinks and machines. Though actually, many homes never use one at all — they wash under the tap in the sink — so some English speakers only know dishpan from older kitchens, camping, or the phrase dishpan hands: skin that is dry and sore from too much hot water and soap. It is not a frying pan and not the sink itself. It is the movable bowl.