First Known Use: 1530
Dictionary
scavenger
noun scav·en·ger \ˈska-vən-jər\
Definition of SCAVENGER
1
chiefly British : a person employed to remove dirt and refuse from streets
2
: one that scavenges: as a : a garbage collector b : a junk collector c : a chemically active substance acting to make innocuous or remove an undesirable substance
3
: an organism that typically feeds on refuse or carrion
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Origin of SCAVENGER
alteration of earlier scavager, from Anglo-French scawageour collector of scavage (duty collected from non-resident street merchants), from skawage scavage, from Middle French dialect (Flanders) escauver to inspect, from Middle Dutch scouwen; akin to Old English scēawian to look at — more at show
Other Ecology Terms
SCAVENGER Defined for Kids
scavenger
noun scav·en·ger \ˈska-vən-jər\
Definition of SCAVENGER for Kids
1
: a person who picks over junk or garbage for useful items
2
: an animal (as a vulture) that feeds on dead or decaying material
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