scavenge
Americanverb (used with object)
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to take or gather (something usable) from discarded material.
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to cleanse of filth, as a street.
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to expel burnt gases from (the cylinder of an internal-combustion engine).
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Metallurgy. to purify (molten metal) by introducing a substance that will combine chemically with impurities.
verb (used without object)
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to act as a scavenger.
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(of an engine or cylinder) to become scavenged of burnt gases.
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to search, especially for food.
verb
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to search for (anything usable) among discarded material
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(tr) to purify (a molten metal) by bubbling a suitable gas through it. The gas may be inert or may react with the impurities
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to clean up filth from (streets, etc)
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chem to act as a scavenger for (atoms, molecules, ions, radicals, etc)
Other Word Forms
- unscavenged adjective
Etymology
Origin of scavenge
First recorded in 1635–45; back formation from scavenger
Explanation
When you scavenge, you pick through discarded things looking for whatever is salvageable and can be reused. If you're looking for a replacement part for a vintage car, you might scavenge at the dump for a suitable part. If you're a freegan you've embraced the idea of trying to live for free, recycling and reusing what others have discarded, leaving a small footprint on the planet. You’re on the lookout for good places to scavenge, such as the dumpster behind a busy supermarket, where you might find edible food, or the trash bins at clothing stores, where wearable clothing is tossed out. Vultures, hyenas, and other animals that feed on carrion — dead animals — also scavenge.
Vocabulary lists containing scavenge
Gathering Blue
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Salt to the Sea
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The Invention of Hugo Cabret
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
The study's findings suggest the birds are doing more than just tracking the hunters: they're using navigation and spatial memory techniques to scavenge with sophistication.
From Barron's • Mar. 12, 2026
Cougars, however, rarely scavenge from other carnivores and are skilled hunters on their own, leaving scientists uncertain about what truly shapes their interactions with wolves.
From Science Daily • Mar. 3, 2026
When they aren’t thieving, bald eagles also scavenge from roadkill or help themselves to free food found in human garbage or at the town landfill.
From Slate • Feb. 21, 2026
Though they're not inherently dirty animals, rats scavenge in sewers and bins and can pass on serious diseases to humans.
From BBC • Sep. 25, 2025
“That’s enough to pay off all our work debts. With that much cash you could set up scavenge on your own. Even buy Bapi’s light crew slot.”
From "Ship Breaker" by Paolo Bacigalupi
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
