scavenged; scavenging
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
: 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 musical grinds to a halt whenever Norma is offstage and a chorus of showbiz wannabes, clad in cargo pants and hoodies, scavenge for their next meal ticket.
—
Patrick Ryan, USA TODAY, 21 Oct. 2024
Their flexible diet and ability to scavenge may have contributed to their survival during times when other marine resources were scarce.
—Scott Travers, Forbes, 7 Sep. 2024
Read more: How Smithsonian curators scavenge political conventions to explain the present to the future and save everything from hats to buttons to umbrellas to soap
Jerry: Yes.
—Claire Jerry, The Conversation, 14 Aug. 2024
The man and the boy scavenge sites for life’s necessities, most notably food and weapons.
—Hazlitt, 23 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for scavenge 
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Patrick Ryan, USA TODAY, 21 Oct. 2024
Their flexible diet and ability to scavenge may have contributed to their survival during times when other marine resources were scarce.
—Scott Travers, Forbes, 7 Sep. 2024
Read more: How Smithsonian curators scavenge political conventions to explain the present to the future and save everything from hats to buttons to umbrellas to soap
Jerry: Yes.
—Claire Jerry, The Conversation, 14 Aug. 2024
The man and the boy scavenge sites for life’s necessities, most notably food and weapons.
—Hazlitt, 23 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for scavenge
Dictionary Entries Near scavenge
Cite this Entry
“Scavenge.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/scavenge. Accessed 28 Nov. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
scavenge
verb
scav·enge
ˈskav-ənj 
-inj
scavenged; scavenging
: to collect usable things from what has been discarded
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