Non-stick describes a cooking pan, pot, or baking tray with a special inside surface so food does not hold on to it. Eggs, fish, and pancakes are the usual test: they slide instead of tearing. In shops and kitchens, “a non-stick pan” is the everyday phrase; people also say “non-stick coating” for the layer itself. Though actually, it is a promise of less sticking, not magic. You may still use a little oil, and if you scratch the coating with metal tools or use too much heat, food starts to stick again. People almost never use non-stick about a person or an idea — it belongs to cookware.