or -box, -canister, -mill, subs. phr. (common).—1.  The skull, or skull-cap. Hence (2) the head.

1

  d. 1529.  SKELTON, The Tunnynge of Elynoure Rummynge, in Harleian Miscellany (ed. Park), I., 417.

        Upon her BRAIN PAN
Like an Egyptian
Capped about.

2

  1594.  SHAKESPEARE, 2 Henry VI., iv. 10. Many a time, but for a sallet, my BRAIN-PAN had been cleft with a brown-bill.

3

  1608.  DEKKER, The Belman of London, in Wks. (Grosart) III., 91. The spirit of her owne malt walkt in her BRAYNE PAN.

4

  1609.  DEKKER, The Guls Horne-booke, Prœmium. Tarleton, Kemp, nor Singer … never played the clownes more naturally then the arrantest Sot of you all shall if hee will but boyle my Instructions in his BRAINE-PAN.

5

  1622.  MASSINGER, The Virgin Martyr, ii., 2.

        Oh, sir, his BRAIN-PAN is a bed of snakes,
Whose stings shoot through his eyeballs.

6

  1692.  J. HACKET, Life of Archbishop Williams, I, 102. Had the Gensdarmery of our great writers no other enemy to fight with? nothing to grind in their BRAIN-MILL but orts?

7

  1817.  SCOTT, Rob Roy, xxxiii. ‘Weize a brace of balls through his HARN-PAN!’ Ibid. (1822), The Fortunes of Nigel, xi. ‘Were I your master, sirrah,… I would make your BRAIN-PAN, as you call it, boil over, were you to speak a word in my presence before you were spoken to.’

8