scavenge

[ skav-inj ]

/ ˈskæv ɪndʒ /

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See synonyms for scavenge on Thesaurus.com

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.

to act as a scavenger.

(of an engine or cylinder) to become scavenged of burnt gases.

to search, especially for food.

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Origin of scavenge

First recorded in 1635–45; back formation from scavenger

OTHER WORDS FROM scavenge

un·scav·enged, adjective

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

How to use scavenge in a sentence

Microbes can scavenge that urea and release its nitrogen back into the blood.
These Arctic squirrels recycle bits of their own bodies to survive winter|Carolyn Wilke|December 16, 2020|Science News
The catch is that the Koppaites are too tiny to actually scavenge anything themselves.
‘Pikmin 3 Deluxe’ loses some of its original charm|Michael Thomsen|October 30, 2020|Washington Post
I’m like some Pleistocene hunter-gatherer, always scavenging for more.
How to Stop Feeling Crushed for Time - Issue 92: Frontiers|Brian Gallagher|October 28, 2020|Nautilus
That suggests the virus is scavenging for LA molecules, using them to spread, and harming us in the process.
Researchers find a ‘druggable pocket’ in coronavirus that could lead to new antivirals|David Meyer|September 22, 2020|Fortune

Otherwise, the elderly monk toils solo during long days scavenging and building.
Spain’s Mad Monk Has Built a Massive Cathedral Entirely by Hand|Nina Strochlic|January 16, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Chicagoan Bill Smith discovered Chen three years ago when she was scavenging for survival in Phnom Penh's toxic garbage dumps.
13 Riveting Stories From the Summit|Liz Goodwin|March 12, 2011|DAILY BEAST
Scott fell back against the bulkhead, his eyes fixed on the cats still scavenging among the empty cells.
Feline Red|Robert Sampson
One of these scavenging birds was seen to be carrying a long object, like an eel, in its mouth.
On the Seashore|R. Cadwallader Smith
Then too, whatever air may escape contains no fuel, and consequently efficient scavenging may be obtained without waste.
The Gasoline Motor|Harold Whiting Slauson
The fact that your so-called Government lives by raiding and scavenging off us means you were wrong.
The Syndic|C.M. Kornbluth
Under the county council special water districts, drainage districts, and lighting and scavenging districts have been formed.
Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 3, Part 1, Slice 1|Various

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 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

scavenge

Origin of scavenge

OTHER WORDS FROM scavenge

Words related to scavenge

How to use scavenge in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for scavenge