scavenger

American  

[skav-in-jer] / ˈskæv ɪn dʒər /

noun

• scavengers
  plural

1. an animal or other organism that feeds on dead organic matter.

2. a person who searches through and collects items from discarded material.

3. a street cleaner.

4. Chemistry. a chemical that consumes or renders inactive the impurities in a mixture.

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scavenger British  

/ ˈskævɪndʒə /

noun

1. a person who collects things discarded by others

2. any animal that feeds on decaying organic matter, esp on refuse

3. a substance added to a chemical reaction or mixture to counteract the effect of impurities

4. a person employed to clean the streets

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scavenger Scientific  

/ skăv′ən-jər /

1. An animal that feeds on dead organisms, especially a carnivorous animal that eats dead animals rather than or in addition to hunting live prey. Vultures, hyenas, and wolves are scavengers.

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• scavengery
  noun

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• scavengers
  plural

Etymology

Origin of scavenger

1520–30; earlier scavager < Anglo-French scawageour, equivalent to ( e ) scawage inspection ( escaw ( er ) to inspect < Middle Dutch schauwen to look at (cognate with show ) + -age -age ) + -eour -or ²

Explanation

Ever catch a raccoon in your garbage can? The critter is a scavenger, digging around for whatever it can find to eat. In fact, anything or anybody searching for and collecting what others have tossed away is a scavenger. Originally the Middle English word skavager referred to a customs collector who collected scavage, or a toll on foreign goods brought in to sell. In the late 14th Century, scavengers were people hired to clean the streets. Later, the word was used for animals who ate decaying creatures. Later still, the "scavenger hunt" became popular as a game where people have to find items on a list. Anyone who hunts for and collects castoffs could be called a scavenger.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

scavenger scavengers

The dump, which is partly open air, attracts large numbers of scavenger birds.

From Barron's ● May 12, 2026

I would like for there to be activities or games such as scavenger hunts, escape rooms, billiards, pinball, karaoke, pin-the-tail-on-the-donkey — you name it.

From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 20, 2026

Many scavenger species have also developed behaviors that help limit their exposure to disease, further reducing the risks associated with this food source.

From Science Daily ● Jan. 19, 2026

Throughout the game, there will be scavenger hunts using video calls where residents get the chance to solve puzzles and riddles then send staff off to find the next clue.

From BBC ● Jan. 14, 2026

“No, thank God. We had a chat, and I think he gets that I’m just not interested. He was actually kind of cool about it. We ended up having fun on our scavenger hunt.”

From "When Dimple Met Rishi" by Sandhya Menon

The couple kept feeding the scavengers, it said.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 16, 2026

The charity explained that the birds were "primarily scavengers who travel far and wide in search of food".

From BBC ● Apr. 15, 2026

In total, the team described 24 new species across 10 amphipod families, including both predators and scavengers.

From Science Daily ● Mar. 25, 2026

The birds noisily fight over their stolen feast, a potential tip-off to other scavengers.

From Barron's ● Mar. 12, 2026

For the rest of the day she remained in the kitchen, unable to watch the miscellaneous horde of yard sale scavengers pick over her personal possessions.

From "Middlesex: A Novel" by Jeffrey Eugenides