See more synonyms for scavenge on Thesaurus.comverb (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.- to act as a scavenger.
- (of an engine or cylinder) to become scavenged of burnt gases.
- to search, especially for food.
Origin of scavenge
First recorded in
1635–45; back formation from
scavengerDictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018
Related Words for scavenge
skulk,
slink,
lurk,
tramp,
stroll,
roam,
scavenge,
patrol,
hunt,
sneak,
range,
stalk,
snake,
rove,
cruise,
steal
Examples from the Web for scavenge
Contemporary Examples of scavenge
And towns on the edge of their range have and will experience more interaction as the bears arrive to scavenge.
People have to scavenge or make everything, either by themselves or as part of a cooperative community.
Inspired us to scavenge for even more erotic bedtime reading.
He will scavenge any book in any language for another puzzle piece.
Historical Examples of scavenge
Neglect of local authority to scavenge after undertaking to do so, 5s.
There was a fair chance this early that he could scavenge something edible.
The symbiote might produce sugars, scavenge the blood of toxins—there are so many things it could do.
It was not implied that it was part of the duty of the Bembridge green committee to scavenge the seashore.
British Dictionary definitions for scavenge- 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
© William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
Word Origin and History for scavengev.1640s, back-formation from scavenger. Related: Scavenged; scavenging.
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
