First Known Use: circa 1644
Dictionary
scavenge
verb scav·enge \ˈska-vənj, -vinj\
of an animal : to search for food to eat
: to search through waste, junk, etc., for something that can be saved or used
scav·engedscav·eng·ing
Full Definition of SCAVENGE
transitive verb
1
a (1) : to remove (as dirt or refuse) from an area (2) : to clean away dirt or refuse from : cleanse <scavenge a street> b : to feed on (carrion or refuse)
2
a : to remove (burned gases) from the cylinder of an internal combustion engine after a working stroke b : to remove (as an undesirable constituent) from a substance or region by chemical or physical means c : to clean and purify (molten metal) by taking up foreign elements in chemical union
3
: to salvage from discarded or refuse material; also : to salvage usable material from
intransitive verb
: to work or act as a scavenger
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Origin of SCAVENGE
back-formation from scavenger
SCAVENGE Defined for Kids
scavenge
verb scav·enge \ˈska-vənj\
scav·engedscav·eng·ing
Definition of SCAVENGE for Kids
: to search through and collect usable items especially from what has been thrown away
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