panning for gold
Swirling sediment hopefully
Panning for gold is a method of separating gold from sediment by swirling water and gravel in a shallow pan.
The heavier gold settles to the bottom while lighter material washes away.
The technique is associated with prospectors during gold rushes: He spent his weekends panning for gold in mountain streams.
Figuratively, to pan for gold is to search through large amounts of material hoping to find something valuable.
- sluiceGated water conduit
- nuggetSmall solid lump
- prospectorOne seeking valuable deposits
- creekNarrow natural watercourse
- sedimentParticles settling in liquid
flakes · pan · river · river bed · strike · strike it rich · rush · claim · dust · gravel · swirl · mother lode · placer · streambed · riches · sifting · water · mining
- historical activitiesjousting, archery, blacksmithing, falconry, feasting
panning for goldunderground mining
Excavating minerals from tunnels
open-pit mining · dredging · deep mining · strip mining · industrial mining
panning for goldsteady paycheck
guaranteed income · passive income · wage labor · manufacturing · farming
panning for goldthrowing money away