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

The building itself was then torn apart by builders scavenging stone, lead, glass and timber. — Literary Hub, 28 Sep. 2026

Emboldened trespassers are increasingly breaching the city’s complex sewer system, discreetly removing manhole covers to scavenge underground. — Voice Of The People, New York Daily News, 28 Sep. 2026

Their scavenging diet also drives the species’ most persistent threat. — Moná Thomas, PEOPLE, 24 Sep. 2026

The two turnovers the safeties created was one of a few positives Miami’s coaches can scavenge from Sunday’s road game. — Omar Kelly, Miami Herald, 13 Sep. 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