scavenge

verb

scav·​enge ˈska-vənj 

-vinj

scavenged; scavenging

transitive verb

1

a(1)

: to remove (dirt, refuse, etc.) 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 (something, such 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

Examples of scavenge in a Sentence

Rats scavenged in the trash.

The bears scavenged the woods for food.

He scavenged the town dump for automobile parts.

Recent Examples on the Web

Like other games in the genre, players will scavenge for resources, solve unusual puzzles and fend off creatures on the isle. —Gieson Cacho, Mercury News, 22 Jan. 2026

Wolverines primarily scavenge carcasses in winter and prey on small mammals, such as pikas, in summer, earning them a reputation among biologists as a natural cleanup crew. —Spencer Wilson, CBS News, 19 Jan. 2026

Marathon is set in a sci-fi universe in 2850, where players take on the role of a Runner to scavenge what’s left behind. —Tom Warren, The Verge, 19 Jan. 2026

Once temperatures drop, heat pumps struggle to scavenge heat, which results in waste and rising electricity expenses. —Connie Etemadi, Freep.com, 17 Jan. 2026

Word History

Etymology

back-formation from scavenger

First Known Use

circa 1644, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1a(1)

Kids Definition

scavenge

verb

scav·​enge ˈskav-ənj 

-inj

scavenged; scavenging

: to collect usable things from what has been discarded