garimpar

Senses

1. 1.

   to mine, to pan for (gold/gems)

   To search for and extract precious stones or minerals, especially gold or diamonds

2. 2.

   to search thoroughly, to dig through

   To search carefully through something to find valuable items or information (figurative use)

3. 3.

   to hunt for bargains, to scour

   To look for good deals or hidden treasures in shops, markets, or online

Examples

• "Meu avô garimpava ouro no rio quando era jovem."

  My grandfather used to pan for gold in the river when he was young.

• "Ela adora garimpar roupas vintage em brechós."

  She loves to hunt for vintage clothes in thrift stores.

• "Os pesquisadores garimparam dados antigos para encontrar evidências."

  The researchers dug through old data to find evidence.

Usage

Common in both literal (mining) and figurative contexts. The figurative use is very popular in modern Brazilian Portuguese, especially for shopping ("garimpar em brechós/sebos") or research. The noun form is "garimpeiro/a" (prospector, miner).