salvage

[ sal-vij ]

noun

1. 1. the act of saving a ship or its cargo from perils of the seas.
   2. the property so saved.
   3. compensation given to those who voluntarily save a ship or its cargo.
2. 1. the act of saving anything from fire, danger, etc.
   2. the property so saved.
3. the value or proceeds upon sale of goods recovered from a shipwreck, fire, etc.
4. the act of saving something of use or value from destruction, damage, ruin, loss, or waste:

   The salvage of carcass parts for pharmaceutical or research use is permitted if it does not interfere with sanitary operations.

verb (used with object)

, sal·vaged, sal·vag·ing.

1. to save or rescue (property) from shipwreck, fire, or other peril.

   Synonyms: recover, retrieve

2. to save from destruction, damage, ruin, or loss:

   A new achievement was the only way to salvage his reputation.

3. to preserve (a useful or valuable part) from something otherwise wasted, discarded, or deemed a failure: I tried to salvage the unburnt part of the cornbread.

   We purchase end-of-life vehicles and salvage scrap metal.

   I tried to salvage the unburnt part of the cornbread.

   The team has a chance to salvage some degree of glory from a dismal season.

salvage

/ ˈsælvɪdʒ /

noun

1. the act, process, or business of rescuing vessels or their cargoes from loss at sea
2. 1. the act of saving any goods or property in danger of damage or destruction
   2. ( as modifier )

      a salvage operation

3. the goods or property so saved
4. compensation paid for the salvage of a vessel or its cargo
5. the proceeds from the sale of salvaged goods or property

verb

1. to save or rescue (goods or property) from fire, shipwreck, etc
2. to gain (something beneficial) from a failure

   she salvaged little from the broken marriage

Derived Forms

• ˈsalvageable, adjective
• ˈsalvager, noun

Other Words From

• sal·vage·a·ble adjective
• sal·vag·er noun
• un·sal·vaged adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of salvage¹

First recorded in 1635–45; from Old French; save ¹, -age

Word History and Origins

Origin of salvage¹

C17: from Old French, from Medieval Latin salvāgium, from salvāre to save ¹

Example Sentences

It can’t ever have been declared a total loss in an accident or be operating under a salvage title.

From Outside Online

Fortescue apologized for the incident, which saw the company conduct land clearing on a cultural heritage site without the presence of elders from the Eastern Guruma People to observe and salvage artifacts.

From Time

Howell, who owns a pipeline salvage business, thought he could do the work for as little as $1,000.

From Popular-Science

Yet the sport, like everything else, is too much in salvage mode to know for sure what that looks like.

From Washington Post

Sen. Mary Landrieu did everything she could Monday night to salvage the shards of her bid for a fourth term in the U.S. Senate.

From The Daily Beast

None of this is to say that the wreck and salvage of the Costa Concordia should have received less attention.

From The Daily Beast

It was a negligent accident that cost more than 30 lives, including a salvage diver who perished working on the wreck.

From The Daily Beast

Two full hotels on Giglio port have been rented entirely for two years for the salvage crews and the command center.

From The Daily Beast

Can a radical overhaul salvage this once gripping spectacle?

From The Daily Beast

There were no odds and ends, even, of wreckage which I could salvage for one more week of the old life.

From Project Gutenberg

"These, madam," said I, handing her a small plush bag into which I had poured the "salvage" taken from my sticky palms.

From Project Gutenberg

Others were retaken by the English blockading squadrons, who received then one eighth for salvage.

From Project Gutenberg

In a week this salvage of débris was finished; the rock was swept clean, and the Durande was lightened.

From Project Gutenberg

The wreck and the salvage vessel assisting each other in opposite ways, saved half the labour of the operation.

From Project Gutenberg

Related Words

• reclaim
• recover
• redeem
• regain
• restore
• retrieve