Main Entry: scav·enge

Pronunciation: \ˈska-vənj, -vinj\

Function: verb

Inflected Form(s): scav·enged; scav·eng·ing

Etymology: back-formation from scavenger

Date: circa 1644

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 fromintransitive verb : to work or act as a scavenger