English · Phrasal verb Attested

pan out

In real, traceable use. Part of the curated seed collection; community review is coming.

Sense 1

Both English Tiếng Việt

Meaning · English

To separate and recover (valuable minerals) by swirling dirt or crushed rock in a pan of water, in the manner of a traditional prospector seeking gold.

Nghĩa · Tiếng Việt

Tách và thu hồi khoáng sản quý bằng cách khuấy đất hoặc đá nghiền trong chảo nước

Machine-translated — suggest a fix

Where it’s used: Used American English

Examples

On the Saturday holidays in summer-time we used to borrow skiffs whose owners were not present and go down the river three miles to the cave hollow (Missourian for "valley"), and there we staked out claims and pretended to dig gold, panning out half a dollar a day at first.

Usage example from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-07-30)

Sources & notes

Adapted from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-07-30 via kaikki.org).

Sense 2

Both English Tiếng Việt

Meaning · English

To proceed according to plan; to result or end up with an acceptable outcome or in an acceptable form.

Nghĩa · Tiếng Việt

Diễn ra theo kế hoạch, kết thúc với kết quả chấp nhận được

Machine-translated — suggest a fix

Sources & notes

Adapted from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-07-30 via kaikki.org).

Sense 3

Both English Tiếng Việt

Meaning · English

To fall asleep.

Nghĩa · Tiếng Việt

Ngủ thiếp đi

Machine-translated — suggest a fix

Sources & notes

Adapted from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-07-30 via kaikki.org).

Common questions

What does “pan out” mean?

To separate and recover (valuable minerals) by swirling dirt or crushed rock in a pan of water, in the manner of a traditional prospector seeking gold.

Is “pan out” formal or informal?

No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.