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scavenge
[ skav-inj ]
/ ˈskæv ɪndʒ /
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verb (used with object), scav·enged, scav·eng·ing.
to take or gather (something usable) from discarded material.
to cleanse of filth, as a street.
to expel burnt gases from (the cylinder of an internal-combustion engine).
Metallurgy. to purify (molten metal) by introducing a substance that will combine chemically with impurities.
verb (used without object), scav·enged, scav·eng·ing.
QUIZ
ARE YOU A TRUE BLUE CHAMPION OF THESE "BLUE" SYNONYMS?
We could talk until we're blue in the face about this quiz on words for the color "blue," but we think you should take the quiz and find out if you're a whiz at these colorful terms.
Question 1 of 8
Which of the following words describes “sky blue”?
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Origin of scavenge
First recorded in 1635–45; back formation from scavenger
OTHER WORDS FROM scavenge
un·scav·enged, adjectiveWords nearby scavenge
scaturient, scaud, scaup, scauper, scaur, scavenge, scavenge pump, scavenger, scavenger beetle, scavenger hunt, scavenger's daughter
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2021
How to use scavenge in a sentence
British Dictionary definitions for scavenge
scavenge
/ (ˈskævɪndʒ) /
verb
to search for (anything usable) among discarded material
(tr) to purify (a molten metal) by bubbling a suitable gas through it. The gas may be inert or may react with the impurities
to clean up filth from (streets, etc)
chem to act as a scavenger for (atoms, molecules, ions, radicals, etc)
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
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