salvage

[ sal-vij ]

/ ˈsæl vɪdʒ /

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See synonyms for: salvage / salvaged / salvaging / salvager on Thesaurus.com

noun

the act of saving a ship or its cargo from perils of the seas.
the property so saved.
compensation given to those who voluntarily save a ship or its cargo.

the act of saving anything from fire, danger, etc.
the property so saved.

the value or proceeds upon sale of goods recovered from a shipwreck, fire, etc.

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.

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

to save from destruction, damage, ruin, or loss: A new achievement was the only way to salvage his reputation.

to preserve (a useful or valuable part) from something otherwise wasted, discarded, or deemed a failure: 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.

OTHER WORDS FOR salvage

5 retrieve, recover,

See synonyms for salvage on Thesaurus.com

QUIZ

THINGAMABOB OR THINGUMMY: CAN YOU DISTINGUISH BETWEEN THE US AND UK TERMS IN THIS QUIZ?

Do you know the difference between everyday US and UK terminology? Test yourself with this quiz on words that differ across the Atlantic.

Question 1 of 7

In the UK, COTTON CANDY is more commonly known as…

candystring

candyfloss

candypuff

TAKE THE QUIZ TO FIND OUT

Origin of salvage

First recorded in 1635–45; from Old French; see origin at save¹, -age

OTHER WORDS FROM salvage

sal·vage·a·ble, adjectivesal·vag·er, nounun·sal·vaged, adjective

WORDS THAT MAY BE CONFUSED WITH salvage

salvage , selvage

Words nearby salvage

salutiferous, Salv., salvable, Salvador, Salvadorian, salvage, salvageable, salvage archaeology, Salvarsan, salvation, Salvation Army

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use salvage in a sentence

It can’t ever have been declared a total loss in an accident or be operating under a salvage title.
Make Bank Renting Your Car on Turo|egrainger|August 27, 2021|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.
Could the World’s Largest Green Energy Hub Redefine How Companies Work With Indigenous People?|Amy Gunia|July 16, 2021|Time
Howell, who owns a pipeline salvage business, thought he could do the work for as little as $1,000.
Oil and gas companies are making old pipelines the landowner’s problem|Kate Wheeling/Nexus Media|March 10, 2021|Popular-Science
Yet the sport, like everything else, is too much in salvage mode to know for sure what that looks like.
The NBA offseason is a wild ride in normal times. This year? Buckle up.|Jerry Brewer|November 19, 2020|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.
Democrats Leave Senator Landrieu for Dead|Patricia Murphy|December 2, 2014|DAILY BEAST
None of this is to say that the wreck and salvage of the Costa Concordia should have received less attention.
The Racism of Disaster Coverage|Barbie Latza Nadeau|July 25, 2014|DAILY BEAST
It was a negligent accident that cost more than 30 lives, including a salvage diver who perished working on the wreck.
The Racism of Disaster Coverage|Barbie Latza Nadeau|July 25, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Two full hotels on Giglio port have been rented entirely for two years for the salvage crews and the command center.
Saying Goodbye to the Salvage Saviors of Giglio|Barbie Latza Nadeau|July 21, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Can a radical overhaul salvage this once gripping spectacle?
Can Baseball’s All-Star Game Be Saved?|Peter C. Bjarkman|July 15, 2014|DAILY BEAST
There were no odds and ends, even, of wreckage which I could salvage for one more week of the old life.
A Virginia Scout|Hugh Pendexter
"These, madam," said I, handing her a small plush bag into which I had poured the "salvage" taken from my sticky palms.
Mrs. Raffles|John Kendrick Bangs
Others were retaken by the English blockading squadrons, who received then one eighth for salvage.
Newton Forster|Captain Frederick Marryat
In a week this salvage of débris was finished; the rock was swept clean, and the Durande was lightened.
Toilers of the Sea|Victor Hugo
The wreck and the salvage vessel assisting each other in opposite ways, saved half the labour of the operation.
Toilers of the Sea|Victor Hugo

British Dictionary definitions for salvage

salvage

/ (ˈsælvɪdʒ) /

noun

the act, process, or business of rescuing vessels or their cargoes from loss at sea

the act of saving any goods or property in danger of damage or destruction
(as modifier)a salvage operation

the goods or property so saved

compensation paid for the salvage of a vessel or its cargo

the proceeds from the sale of salvaged goods or property

verb (tr)

to save or rescue (goods or property) from fire, shipwreck, etc

to gain (something beneficial) from a failureshe salvaged little from the broken marriage

Derived forms of salvage

salvageable, adjectivesalvager, noun

Word Origin for salvage

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

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

salvage

OTHER WORDS FOR salvage

Origin of salvage

OTHER WORDS FROM salvage

WORDS THAT MAY BE CONFUSED WITH salvage

Words nearby salvage

Words related to salvage

How to use salvage in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for salvage

Derived forms of salvage

Word Origin for salvage