what is a panel?

[mrbk]

Here's a really stupid [sorry, no, I read the rules!] question.
Just loaded Quiana with MATE - I like it but I can't see Applications, Places and shortcut icons on the top toolbar [like I have on Ubuntu Gnome]. Help says to rt click in a 'Panel' & select 'Add to Panel'. It doesn't say what a 'panel' is. I've clicked every toolbar and everywhere else on the screen and the dialogue [if it appears] never offers anything to do with 'panels' - AddTo or otherwise.
If I do Alt+F1 I get a dialogue that offers 'Places' etc: very good! BUT how do I transfer these shortcut/launcher items into the top [or any!] toolbar?

[xenopeek]

By default Linux Mint MATE comes with one panel, at the bottom of the screen. That should clue you in to what/where it is I think. You can right-click an empty spot on the panel, and from the context menu select to add to the panel (perhaps option isn't there if you've locked the panel; then first unlock it). IIRC, you can also add a new panel from there if you also want one at the top of the screen.

[Habitual]

A panel is any rectangular area of screen real estate that holds actionable elements that run programs on your Desktop.

[mrbk]

Thanks - helpful!
For the record:
A Panel is what I would call a toolbar.
The reason the bottom toolbar never offered the dialogue carrying "New Panel" etc was because there was no 'empty spot' on it [all filled up with icons which I had to close to create empty space to allow the dialogue to trigger]
It sadly seems impossible to add "Applications" and "Office" etc to a toolbar but you can drag onto it launcher icons for SPECIFIC programs [like Synaptic, System Manager etc]