salvage

American  

[sal-vij] / ˈsæl vɪdʒ /

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.

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verb (used with object)

salvaged, salvaging

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 British  

/ 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

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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

Other Word Forms

• salvageable adjective
• salvager noun
• unsalvaged adjective

Etymology

Origin of salvage

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

Example Sentences

The group came together at Sedalia, Mo., high school, scrounged up money and bought a caboose from a local salvage yard.

From The Wall Street Journal

Hodgkinson still managed to salvage silverware from her challenging 2025 by making the world podium in Tokyo six months ago and is ultimately appreciative of the perspective that setback has given her.

From BBC

To critics, he is a billionaire drawn to the messy business of media without a viable vision for how to salvage it.

From The Wall Street Journal

‘No! We salvage our gear, we build a shelter and a fire. Then we wait. We wait for Wolf to find us.’

From Literature

Not all of it could be salvaged, so Knott’s meticulously re-created the look.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

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