Gold panning, a popular recreational activity, has become a lucrative profession for many gold enthusiasts. There are various synonyms that are used for gold panning, including gold prospecting, gold digging, and gold mining. Gold prospecting involves searching for gold in rivers, courses or areas where the deposit is likely to have occurred. Gold digging involves physically digging into the soil to uncover gold deposits, whereas gold mining involves using specialized equipment designed to extract gold ore from underground mines. Other synonyms for gold panning include placer mining, sluicing, and dredging. All these terms have one thing in common, which is the search for gold and the hope of striking it rich.