Dictionary

scavenge en · VERB

Pronunciation

• (US) audio
• /ˈskæv.ɪndʒ/ (UK)

Etymology

Back-formation from scavenger. Compare messenger and passenger.

Meanings

1. (transitive) To collect and remove refuse, or to search through refuse, carrion, or abandoned items for useful material.
   • They had to scavenge the forest for firewood.
   • We scavenged a couple of old beer cans for our art project.
2. (transitive) To remove unwanted material from something, especially to purify molten metal by removing impurities.
3. (transitive) To expel the exhaust gases from the cylinder of an internal combustion engine, and draw in air for the next cycle.
4. (intransitive) To feed on carrion or refuse.

Forms

Deriveds

scavengeable · scavenge pump · unscavenged

Relateds

show · showing · scavenger

Synonyms

ragpick · scrounge

Translations (41)

pl żerować (to collect and remove refuse) · it rovistare (to collect and remove refuse) · mi hamu (to collect and remove refuse) · de ausstoßen (to expel the exhaust gases from the cylinder of an internal combustion engine) · ru очищать (to remove unwanted material) · mi hamuhamu (to feed on carrion or refuse) · ru продувать (to expel the exhaust gases from the cylinder of an internal combustion engine) · bg продухвам (to expel the exhaust gases from the cylinder of an internal combustion engine) · hu kitisztít (to remove unwanted material) · hu öblít (to remove unwanted material) · es pepenar (to collect and remove refuse) · hu kukázik (to collect and remove refuse) · bg събирам смет (to collect and remove refuse) · ru рыться в отбросах (to collect and remove refuse) · it frugare (to collect and remove refuse) · ga cart (to feed on carrion or refuse) · fr ramasser les ordures (to collect and remove refuse) · hu átfúvat (to expel the exhaust gases from the cylinder of an internal combustion engine) · hu kiöblít (to remove unwanted material) · mi hamuhamu (to collect and remove refuse) · es carroñear (to feed on carrion or refuse) · hu dögöt/hulladékot eszik (to feed on carrion or refuse) · de reinigen (to remove unwanted material) · cmn 拾荒 (to collect and remove refuse) · hu kifúvat (to expel the exhaust gases from the cylinder of an internal combustion engine) · mi paraketu (to collect and remove refuse) · hu dögevő (to feed on carrion or refuse) · nl reinigen (to remove unwanted material) · ru питаться падалью (to feed on carrion or refuse) · fr nettoyer (to remove unwanted material) · nl vuil ophalen (to collect and remove refuse) · de entgasen (to expel the exhaust gases from the cylinder of an internal combustion engine) · de entschlacken (to remove unwanted material) · hu átöblít (to remove unwanted material) · cmn 撿垃圾 /捡垃圾 (to collect and remove refuse) · hu guberál (to collect and remove refuse) · de durchstöbern (to collect and remove refuse) · hu hulladékevő (to feed on carrion or refuse) · hu tisztít (to remove unwanted material) · hu eltakarít (to remove unwanted material) · pt catar (to collect and remove refuse)