gold-washer

gold-washer

A gold-washer sifts for flakes in a shallow river pan.

Definition
  1. Noun:
    • A person who washes or pans for gold: "gold-washer" refers to an individual who extracts gold from sand or gravel by washing it in water, typically using a pan or similar tool. This occupation is often associated with placer mining.
Usage Examples
  • (A person engaged in the manual extraction of gold from river deposits.)
  • (Historical context of individuals panning for gold.)
Advanced Usage
  • "to work as a gold-washer": to be employed in the activity of washing gold from earth or gravel.
    • He worked as a gold-washer in the remote streams of Alaska. (He performed the manual labour of extracting gold.)
Variants and Related Words
  • Gold-washing (noun): the process or act of extracting gold by washing.
    • Gold-washing requires patience and a steady hand. (The activity itself.)
Synonyms
  • Panner: a person who uses a pan to separate gold from gravel.
  • Gold panner: a more common synonym for a gold-washer.
Related Idioms