scavenge
verb /ˈskævɪndʒ/
/ˈskævɪndʒ/
Verb Forms
| present simple I / you / we / they scavenge | /ˈskævɪndʒ/ /ˈskævɪndʒ/ |
| he / she / it scavenges | /ˈskævɪndʒɪz/ /ˈskævɪndʒɪz/ |
| past simple scavenged | /ˈskævɪndʒd/ /ˈskævɪndʒd/ |
| past participle scavenged | /ˈskævɪndʒd/ /ˈskævɪndʒd/ |
| -ing form scavenging | /ˈskævɪndʒɪŋ/ /ˈskævɪndʒɪŋ/ |
- [transitive, intransitive] (of a person, an animal or a bird) to search through waste for things that can be used or eaten
- scavenge something (from something) Much of their furniture was scavenged from other people's garbage.
- scavenge (through something) (for something) Dogs and foxes scavenged through the trash cans for something to eat.
- [transitive, intransitive] (of animals or birds) to eat dead animals that have been killed by another animal, by a car, etc.
- scavenge something Crows scavenge carrion left on the roads.
- scavenge (on something) Some fish scavenge on dead fish in the wild.
Word Originmid 17th cent. (in the sense ‘clean out (dirt)’): back-formation from scavenger.