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

Predation is relatively rare in the hadal zone, with most organisms scavenging on organic matter drifting from upper layers of the ocean (marine snow), or relying on chemosynthetic bacteria for nutrients. —Jess Thomson, Newsweek, 10 Dec. 2024

To survive, many of the children beg on the streets, scavenge through trash, or engage in petty crimes. —Shefali Rafiq, The Christian Science Monitor, 9 Dec. 2024

Turns out there are enough oddball items on shelves that scavenging for the weirdest finds has become a trend. —Elizabeth Robinson, NBC News, 21 Nov. 2024

The musical grinds to a halt whenever Norma is offstage and a chorus of showbiz wannabes, clad in cargo pants and hoodies, scavenge for their next meal ticket. —Patrick Ryan, USA TODAY, 21 Oct. 2024

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