Definitions
from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.
- intransitive verb To succeed.
- Slang, U. S. To turn out (profitably or unprofitably); to result; to develop.
from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.
- verb To
separate andrecover (valuable minerals ) byswirling dirt or crushed rock in a pan of water, in the manner of a traditionalprospector seekinggold . - verb idiomatic To
succeed ; toproceed according toplan ; toresult orend up .
from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.
- verb wash dirt in a pan to separate out the precious minerals
- verb be a success
Etymologies
Sorry, no etymologies found.
Support
Help support Wordnik (and make this page ad-free) by adopting the word pan out.
Examples
Sorry, no example sentences found.
jmjarmstrong commented on the word pan out
JM tried gold prospecting but it didn't pan out.
June 27, 2011