1
a
: compensation paid for saving a ship or its cargo from the perils of the sea or for the lives and property rescued in a wreck
b
: the act of saving or rescuing a ship or its cargo
c
: the act of saving or rescuing property in danger (as from fire)
2
a
: property saved from destruction in a calamity (such as a wreck or fire)
b
: something extracted (as from rubbish) as valuable or useful
salvaged; salvaging
: to rescue or save especially from wreckage or ruin
Examples of salvage in a Sentence
Noun
The ship was beyond salvage.
the salvage from the wrecked ship
Verb
Divers salvaged some of the sunken ship's cargo.
Few of their possessions were salvaged from the fire.
He is trying to salvage his marriage.
Recent Examples on the Web
Justin Davidson, Curbed, 26 Sep. 2024
Personnel will remain on site to recover debris and plan for the long-term salvage and recovery efforts, the Navy noted.
—Greg Wehner, Fox News, 20 Oct. 2024
George Packer, The Atlantic, 5 Nov. 2024
Our Test Kitchen is sharing answers for your common turkey questions, including our best tips for salvaging your bird if things don't go quite as planned.
—Annie Krumhardt Peterson, Better Homes & Gardens, 2 Nov. 2024
See all Example Sentences for salvage 
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Noun
Recently, a new development team won the job of carrying out a $300 million salvage plan, though its future remains shrouded in excitable real-estate doublespeak.
—Justin Davidson, Curbed, 26 Sep. 2024
Personnel will remain on site to recover debris and plan for the long-term salvage and recovery efforts, the Navy noted.
—Greg Wehner, Fox News, 20 Oct. 2024
Verb
Mann, nearing 50, vacillated, hoping to salvage the old conservatism from the new extremism.
—George Packer, The Atlantic, 5 Nov. 2024
Our Test Kitchen is sharing answers for your common turkey questions, including our best tips for salvaging your bird if things don't go quite as planned.
—Annie Krumhardt Peterson, Better Homes & Gardens, 2 Nov. 2024
See all Example Sentences for salvage
Dictionary Entries Near salvage
Cite this Entry
“Salvage.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/salvage. Accessed 30 Nov. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
salvage
1 of 2 noun
sal·vage
ˈsal-vij 
1
: money paid for saving a wrecked or endangered ship or its cargo or passengers
2
: the act of saving a ship or possessions in danger of being lost
3
: something saved or recovered (as from a wreck or fire)
salvage
2 of 2 verb
salvaged; salvaging
: to rescue or save especially from wreckage or ruin
salvager
noun
Medical Definition
salvage
2 of 2 transitive verb
salvaged; salvaging
: to save (an organ, tissue, or patient) by preventive or therapeutic measures
a salvaged cancer patient
salvaged lung tissue
Legal Definition
salvage
noun
sal·vage
ˈsal-vij
1
a
: compensation paid for saving a ship or its cargo from the perils of the sea or for recovering it from an actual loss (as in a shipwreck)
b
: the act of saving or rescuing a ship or its cargo
c
: the act of saving or rescuing property in danger (as from fire)
2
a
: property saved from destruction (as in a wreck or fire)
b
: damaged property acquired by an insurer after payment for the loss compare abandonment sense 1d
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