scavenge

verb

scav·​enge ˈska-vənj 

-vinj

scavenged; scavenging

transitive verb

1

a(1)

: to remove (dirt, refuse, etc.) from an area

(2)

: to clean away dirt or refuse from : cleanse

scavenge a street

b

: to feed on (carrion or refuse)

2

a

: to remove (burned gases) from the cylinder of an internal combustion engine after a working stroke

b

: to remove (something, such as an undesirable constituent) from a substance or region by chemical or physical means

c

: to clean and purify (molten metal) by taking up foreign elements in chemical union

3

: to salvage from discarded or refuse material

also : to salvage usable material from

intransitive verb

: to work or act as a scavenger

Examples of scavenge in a Sentence

Rats scavenged in the trash.

The bears scavenged the woods for food.

He scavenged the town dump for automobile parts.

Recent Examples on the Web

In the past year, for example, there have been reports of the Israeli military desecrating cemeteries in Gaza, as well as corpses left in the streets for stray dogs to scavenge. —Tyler McBrien, The Dial, 28 Jan. 2025

Per his preliminary findings, specific neurons activated in cold conditions prompted the rodents to scavenge for food. —Julia Ries, Outside Online, 22 Nov. 2024

This suggests that after the crocodile had its fill, a tiger shark moved in to scavenge the remains. —Melissa Cristina Marquez, Forbes, 6 Sep. 2024

The carnivorous marine isopods typically scavenge carcasses on the seafloor, but may also eat live prey. —Amanda Kooser, Forbes, 14 Jan. 2025

Word History

Etymology

back-formation from scavenger

First Known Use

circa 1644, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1a(1)

Kids Definition

scavenge

verb

scav·​enge ˈskav-ənj 

-inj

scavenged; scavenging

: to collect usable things from what has been discarded