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Definition of scavenger
1 chiefly British : a person employed to remove dirt and refuse from streets
2 : one that scavenges: such asa : a garbage collectorb : a junk collectorc : 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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scavenger was our Word of the Day on 05/05/2014. Hear the podcast!
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Recent Examples of scavenger from the Web
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Unlike modern crocodiles, Razana had a large jaw and serrated teeth similar to that of a T-Rex, suggesting that the animal was a top hunter and scavenger in the Middle Jurassic.
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JULY 6 Birthday celebration, free admission, music, treats, scavenger hunt, 10 a.m.-5 p.m. July 6, Museum of Glass, 1801 E. Dock St., Tacoma (253-284-4750 or museumofglass.org).
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Activities for the evening included line dancing, face painting, temporary tattoos, games, and scavenger hunt.
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To work out what happens to these bodies, the team analyzed water at various parts of the Mara, collected samples of fish and microbes, and used camera traps to count arriving scavengers.
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A nameless city inhabited by scavengers and the remnants of failed bioengineering experiments is dominated by a corporation known simply as the Company.
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Big City Hunt’s scavenger hunts and tours turn your cellphone into a device that brings people together.
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The map will be useful June 18 during the Horcrux Hunt and the scavenger hunt.
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Israel launches the book this weekend with a scavenger hunt featuring items from the book, such as gummy bears and Dala horse toys.
These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'scavenger'. Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Did You Know?
You might guess that "scavenger" is a derivative of "scavenge," but the reverse is actually true; "scavenger" is the older word, first appearing in English in 1530, and the back-formation "scavenge" came into English in the mid-17th century. "Scavenger" is an alteration of the earlier "scavager," itself from Anglo-French scawageour, meaning "collector of scavage." In medieval times, "scavage" was a tax levied by towns and cities on goods put up for sale by nonresidents, in order to provide resident merchants with a competitive advantage. The officers in charge of collecting this tax were later made responsible for keeping streets clean, and that's how "scavenger" came to refer to a public sanitation employee in Great Britain before acquiring its current sense referring to a person who salvages discarded items.
Origin and Etymology 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
playDefinition of scavenger for Students
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
Learn More about scavenger
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Spanish Central: Translation of scavenger Nglish: Translation of scavenger for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of scavenger for Arabic speakers Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about scavenger
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