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 verb1 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 union3: to salvage from discarded or refuse material ; also : to salvage usable material fromintransitive verb: to work or act as a scavenger